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1861   TO  1865. 

PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS  AND  EXPERIENCES  IN  THE 
CONFEDERATE  ARMY. 

BY    AN    "OLD   JOHNNIE." 


THE  LITTLE  CONFEDERATE. 


Pl^   «t-tiWU 


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ih  droop  li^^ 


,  [Vrl  if  jlow!/ 
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L.T.DlCKiNSOH      of 


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COPYRIGHT,  1897, 
BY  THK  ROBERT  CLARKE  COMPANY. 


DEDICATION. 

e 


TO    THE    MEMORY 

OF    THE 

GALLANT  SPIRITS  WHO  FELL  IN   DEFENSE  OF  THE 
LOST   CAUSE, 

TO 

THEIR   SURVIVING  COMRADES, 

AND    TO 

THEIR  WIVES  AND  DAUGHTERS, 

This  volume  of  reminiscences  is  affectionately  inscribed  by 
THE  AUTHOR. 


Fair  Freedom  is  sadly  and  silently  weeping 

O'er  Martyrs  who  dared  for  her  honor  to  die, 
But  myriads  of  Angels  are  sacredly  keeping 

Unslumbering  ward  o'er  the  spot  where  they  lie. 
Rest,  Comrades!  the  tumult  of  battle  shall  never 

Break  in  on  your  dreams,  nor  disturb  your  repose; 
Your  valor  and  names  shall  be  cherished,  and  even 
In  high  honor  held,  'till  times'  records  close. 

— Simmons. 

(v) 


PREFACE. 

The  papers  comprising  this  volume  were  begun  without 
any  plan  or  purpose  of  writing  a  book  or  of  publishing  them 
in  pamphlet  or  any  other  form.  They  were  written  as  op- 
portunity permitted,  in  the  intervals  that  could  be  spared  from 
the  duties  of  active  business,  and  without  any  attempt  at 
elaboration.  I  had  entered  the  Confederate  army  when  a 
mere  lad,  barely  sixteen  years  of  age ;  was  in  the  first  battle 
of  the  war  and  in  very  nearly  the  last,  and  when  the  "  Bonnie 
Blue  Flag "  was  furled  after  the  surrender  of  Generals  Lee 
and  Johnston,  I  gave  my  parole,  along  with  my  comrades  at 
Gainsville,  Alabama,  where  General  Dick  Taylor  surrendered 
the  department  in  which  I  was  then  serving.  I  had  served 
through  the  entire  war,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  the  first 
half  in  Virginia  and  Maryland,  and  the  last  in  Mississippi, 
Tennessee  and  Alabama.  Thirty  years  later  I  was  impelled, 
not  only  by  the  suggestions  of  friends,  but  by  my  own  feel- 
ings and  inclinations,  to  commence  writing  my  reminiscences  , 
of  the  war  and  my  personal  experiences  during  the  more  than 
four  years  of  service,  more  as  a  record  for  my  descendants 
and  friends  to  read  in  after  years,  than  with  any  view  of 
coming  before  the  public  in  the  role  of  author.  I  knew  then, 

(vii) 


viii  PREFA  CE. 

as  I  now  know,  that  sketches,  papers,  reminiscences  and 
volumes,  almost  "ad  infinitum,"  had  been  written  and  pub- 
lished, until  the  reading  people  had  become  wearied,  if  not 
surfeited  with  that  class  of  literature.  With  only  my  original 
purpose  in  view,  therefore,  I  continued  to  write  as  time  and 
opportunity  permitted,  and  now  and  then  in  order  to  com- 
pare recollections,  submitted  a  paper  or  two  to  some  comrade 
or  friend  in  whose  judgment  I  had  confidence  and  upon 
whose  memories  I  believed  I  could  rely.  Those  to  whom 
they  were  submitted  were  few,  for  I  had  no  desire  to  make  a 
public  display  of  my  simple  narrative  of  the  war,  nor  to  give 
it  any  publicity  whatever;  yet,  those  friends  and  comrades 
who  read  the  MSS.  advised  me  with  one  accord,  and  some 
even  urged  me  to  continue  and  complete  the  sketches,  and 
when  completed,  give  them  to  the  public  in  a  volume,  assur- 
ing me  that  they  would  be  interesting  to  the  public  generally 
and  specially  so  to  all  survivors  of  the  lost  cause  and  the 
descendants  of  those  who  had  crossed  over  the  river;  they 
believed  that  the  book  would  be  valued  by  the  living  and 
the  descendants  of  the  dead  who  had  served  under  Griffith, 
Barksdale,  Forrest  and  Chalmers,  or  any  where  near  them ; 
and  they  were  so  flattering  in  their  estimate,  as  to  declare 
that  it  would  be  a  valuable  and  reliable  contribution  to  the 
history  of  the  period  extending  from  1861  to  1865,  although 
such  a  thought  had  never  entered  my  mind.  They  believed, 
too,  that  people  of  the  Northern  States,  from  whose  minds 


PREFA  CE.  ix 

and  hearts  all  bitterness  had  been  obliterated,  would  read 
with  interest  truthful  sketches  from  a  Southern  standpoint, 
of  scenes  and"  battles  in  which  many  of  them  had  participated 
and  of  which  they  had  heard  and  read. 

Yielding  to  these  opinions  and  representations  of  comrades 
and  friends,  I  have  endeavored  to  give  my  observations  and 
experiences  in  plain  and  simple  language,  and  to  avoid  any 
and  every  expression  that  might  wound  or  offend,  and  in  no 
instance  to  violate  the  laws  of  truth. 

Reader  !  the  result  is  before  you ;  be  your  own  judge  of 
the  merits  of  my  work  of  love.  JAMES  DINKINS. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


The  Little  Confederate, Frontispiece 

"  Billy"  Blake, 37 

A  Sickening  Sight  on  the  Battlefield  of  White  Oak  Swamp,         51 

Suddenly  a  Shell  Exploded  in  their  Midst, 61 

Traffic  on  the  Rappahannock, 66 

The  Little  Confederate  and  his  Niggers, So 

General  James  R.  Chalmers, 89 

A  Texan  makes  use  of  his  Lasso,  .,.,..  123 
Lieutenant-General  Nathan  Bedford  Forrest,  .  .  .  .  125 
Captain  George  Dashiell  (of  General  Forrest's  Staff),  .  .  127 

Accused  of  Wearing  a  Corset, 157 

Lieutenant  Bleecker,  September,  1864, 243 

Major-General  Edward  Gary  Walthall, 253 

Colonel  L.  T.  Dickinson, 280 

The  Old  Johnnie, 281 

We  Stand  ready  to  Defend  it, 283 

w 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  Little  Confederate  enters  a  Military  School — War  is  De- 
clared— Hostilities  Begin,  and  the  First  Battle  is  Fought. ...  17 

CHAPTER   II. 

First  Battle  of  the  War  Fought — Young  Cadets  Prove  themselves 

Worthy  their  Lineage 24 

CHAPTER    III. 

The  Retreat  from  the  Peninsula — The  Battle  of  Williamsburg. ...     32 

CHAPTER   IV. 

The  Army  Arrives  at  the  Chickahominy  River,  and  Begins  to 
Fortify — The  Battle  of  Seven  Pines— Uncle  Freeman  and  a 
Bomb-shell — Billy  Blake  and  a  Paper  Collar. 37 

CHAPTER   V. 

The  Seven  Day's  Battle  of  Richmond— The  Battle  of  Savage  Sta- 
tion— The  Death  of  General  Griffith — Colonel  William  Barks- 
dale  assumes  Command  of  the  Brigade — The  Little  Con- 
federate tries  to  get  a  Pair  of  Shoes 42 

(xi) 


xii  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

The  Battles  of  White  Oak  Swamp  and   Malvern   Hill — President 

Davis,  General  Lee  and  others  Meet 47 


CHAPTER   VII. 

McLaws'  Division  Left  at  Richmond — General  Lee  Moves 
toward  Washington — A  sickening  sight  on  the  Battle  Field 
of  White  Oak  Swamp — McLaws  Joins  General  Lee  at  Manas- 
sas — The  Second  Battle  of  Manasas — The  Army  Crosses  the 
Potomac — The  Surrender  of  Harper's  Ferry  51 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

The  Army  Recrosses   the    Potomac — The    Battle  of  Sharpsburg — 

General  Sims  Wounded — D.  H.  Hill  and  his  Nerve 56 

CHAPTER   IX. 

The  Army  Goes  into  Camp  at  Winchester — Small-pox  Breaks 
Out — The  March  to  Fredericksburg — The  Men's  Clothes 
Freeze  on  them — The  Battle  of  Fredericksburg — The  Enemy 
Capture  Barksdale's  Works,  but  are  Driven  Back — The 
Washington  Artillery  cheer  Barksdale's  Mississippi  Brigade — 
Billy  Blake  and  a  Little  Dog  Frighten  the  People  in 
Church 64 

CHAPTER    X. 

The  Men  of  both  Armies  become  very  Friendly — The  Little  Con- 
federate is  appointed  First  Lieutenant  in  the  C.  S.  Army,  and 
presents  himself  to  the  Secretary  of  War 75 


CONTENTS.  xiii 

CHAPTER   XI. 

The  Little  Confederate  Leaves  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia, 

and  Spends  a  Few  Weeks  at  Home 84 


PART    II. 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Lieutenant   Bleecker  Reports  to   General  James  R.  Chalmers  for 

Duty,  and  is  Assigned  to  the  Command  of  an  Artillery  Section.     89 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

General  Chalmers  organizes  his  Forces  —The  Fight  at  Coldwater 
River— Gallant  Conduct  of  Colonel  McCulloch — Captain  Car- 
roll gives  McCulloch  a  Dining — Gallant  Conduct  of  Major 
Grant  Wilson  of  the  Federal  Army 89 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

The  Men  Taught  how  to  Jerk  Beef — Colonel  Young  and  "the 
Colt  " — Gallant  Conduct  of  Major  Chalmers — Narrow  Escape 
of  General  Sherman 106 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Fight  at  Moscow,  Tennessee — Bright  Pays  His  Respects  to  Car- 
roll— A  Yankee  Cavalryman  Kills  "  Uncle  Steve" — A  Texan 
Lassoes  a  Woman 116 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Forrest  Cavalry  Organized   at  Como,  Miss. — Seventeen   Men  Or- 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

dered  to  be  Shot  at  Oxford— The  Battle  of  Okolona — Colonel 
Jeffrey  Forrest  Killed— A  Touching  Scene—The  Enemy  Burn 
Private  Property 1 28 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

How  the  Boys  Sang  the  Praise  of  the  Starkville  Girls — Colonel 
Young  and  Lieutenant  Taylor  Play  a  Game  of  Cards — The 
Battle  of  Fort  Pillow — The  Conduct  of  the  Negroes — How 
Forrest  Looked 138 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

A  Season  of  Rest  in  the  Rich  Mississippi  Prairies — The  Battle  of 
Brice's  Cross  Roads — A  Jackson  Girl  Accuses  Bleecker  of 
Wearing  a  Corset — A  Tournament  at  Egypt — General  Sturges 
Promises  to  Capture  Forrest — The  Death  of  Billy  Pope 157 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

General  A.  J.  Smith  Captures  and  Burns  Oxford — Gallant  Defense 
Made  by  General  Chalmers — The  Enemy  Burn  the  Home  of 
Jacob  Thompson 166 

CHAPTER   XX. 

General  Forrest  Makes  a  Dash  into  Memphis — The  Effort  to  Cap- 
ture Generals  Washburn  and  Hurlbut — Men  Ride  into  the 
Gavoso  Hotel  on  Their  Horses — The  Plight  of  Federal  Pris- 
oners— How  General  Forrest  Fed  Them  and  His  Own  Men — 
People  Thought  Judgment  Day  was  Coming — The  Negro 
Soldiers'  Idea  of  Forrest 1 76 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

General  Chalmers'  Movement  against  Memphis — The  Regiment 
of  State  Troops— Pleasant  Stay  at  Bolivar,  Tennessee — Arrival 


CONTENTS.  xv 

at  Paris  Landing — The  Undine  and  Cheeseman  Captured — 
First  Confederate  Flag  Seen  Afloat — Ten  Million  Dollars 
Worth  of  Property  Destroyed  in  One  Engagement  on  the 
Tennessee  River — Official  Confirmation — Brilliant  Work  of 
the  Artillery '. 194 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

The  Effort  to  Cross  the  Tennessee  River  at  Perryville — Forrest 
and  Chalmers  Build  Boats,  Cross  the  River  at  Florence,  Ala- 
bama— Wagons  and  Negroes  Captured — A  Dutch  Officer 
Bested  by  a  Negro — Desperate  Charge  at  Henryville — The 
Great  Mistake  at  Spring  Hill — The  Battle  of  Franklin — Ar- 
rival at  Vicinity  of  Nashville 221 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

The  Battle  of  Nashville — Very  Cold  Weather — Hundreds  of  Men 
Barefooted — General  Chalmers'  Gallant  Fight  at  Davidson's 
Landing — Colonel  Rucker's  Personal  Fight  "and  Capture — 
General  Forrest  Saves  the  Army — Recross  the  Tennessee 
River 243 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Reorganization  of  Forrest's  Cavalry  at  Columbus,  Miss. — The  Sur- 
render— General  Forrest's  Farewell  Address — Tribute  to  Gen- 
eral Grant 255 


PART   III. 

"LAGNIAPPE." 

King    Philip — Anecdote    of  General    Forrest— Carpet   Baggers — 

Anecdote  of  Hon.  Chas.  Ready — The  Negroes 264 


1861  to  1865. 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS   AND    EXPERIENCES 
IN   THE  CONFEDERATE   ARMY. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  LITTLE  CONFEDERATE  ENTERS  A  MILITARY  SCHOOL — 
WAR  is  DECLARED — HOSTILITIES  BEGIN,  AND  THE  FIRST 
BATTLE  is  FOUGHT. 

In  April,  1860,  a  slender  and  apparently  delicate  youth 
was  sent  by  his  parents  from  Canton,  Miss.,  to  Charlotte, 
N.  C.,  where  he  was  matriculated  in  the  North  Carolina  Mil- 
itary Institute.  He  reached  there  very  near  his  fifteenth  birth- 
day. It  was  the  first  time  in  all  his  life  that  he  had  been  more 
than  a  day's  journey  from  his  mother.  The  trip  required  sev- 
eral days,  which  afforded  him  opportunity  for  serious  thought, 
and  by  the  time  he  was  entered  as  a  cadet  he  was  suffering 
the  pangs  of  home-sickness,  which  only  those  who  have  had 
similar  experiences  can  appreciate,  but  which  can  not  be  de- 
scribed. The  second  day  after  reaching  the  institute,  he  was 
notified  by  an  officer  (a  cadet)  to  report  to  Major  Hill,  presi- 
dent of  the  institute,  for  examination  and  assignment  to  class. 
At  eleven  o'clock  he  was  told  to  present  himself,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  do  so.  At  the  end  of  a  large  section  room  sat  a 
gentleman  in  uniform,  with  spectacles  resting  on  the  extreme 


18  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

end  of  his  nose,  the  only  use  he  seemed  to  have  for  them. 
This  was  Major  Hill.  His  coat  was  buttoned,  but  the  first 
button-hole  extended  above  the  chin,  the  first  button  being 
covered  by  the  second  button-hole.  The  boy  was  told  to 
salute  the  Major  as  he  approached. 

"Well,  sir,  what  is  your  name?" 

"James  Bleecker." 

"  Well,  what  is  your  middle  name  ?" 

"  I  have  no  middle  name — just  James." 

"Well,  sir,  that  settled,  tell  me  what  is  an  equation." 

The  boy  did  not  know.     Then  came  the  second  question : 

"What  is  a  rectangled  triangle?" 

He  could  not  answer. 

"Well,  then,  what  is  an  hypothesis?" 

He  could  not  tell,  so  the  Major  told  him  to  be  sure  to  an- 
swer to  his  name  at  reveille  next  morning. 

The  boy  returned  to  his  room,  having  to  pass  several  guards 
with  bayonets  fixed,  walking  their  beats.  Every  thing  tended 
to  increase  his  loneliness  and  helplessness.  He  would  fly  if 
he  could,  but  the  guards  would  not  let  him  pass  out  of  the 
inclosure.  The  little  fellow  lay  awake  nearly  all  night,  fear- 
ing he  might  not  hear  that  drum-beat  in  the  morning.  He 
was  down  promptly,  and  fell  in  line  at  the  foot,  because  he 
was  the  smallest  and  youngest,  the  roll  was  called,  each  boy 
answering  to  his  name.  There  were  several  cadets  with  the 
same  name.  Bleecker,  H.  H.,  Bleecker,  H.  B.,  and  the 
name  Bleecker,  J.  J.,  was  called  but  no  one  answered.  The 
boy,  like  the  others,  returned  to  his  room  for  study  until  the 
drum  tapped  for  breakfast. 

The  front   windows  of  the  building  had   heavy  iron  bars 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARM}'.  19 

across  them,  and  there  was  no  exit  except  by  the  rear  stoops 
and  stairways,  to  reach  which  all  passed  through  a  long  arch- 
way. Most  of  the  cadets  had  passed  in  ahead  of  the  youth 
and  just  as  he  turned  in,  up  went  his  feet,  and  down  went 
his  body.  He  was  a  "  Newy  "  and  was  being  initiated;  all 
those  behind  ran  over  him,  stumbling  as  they  passed.  It 
was  before  dawn,  and  dark,  and  the  little  fellow  had  no  idea 
who  his  enemies  were.  He  reached  his  room,  however, 
badly  used  up,  and  spent  the  hour  before  breakfast  brushing, 
and  changing  his  clothing.  The  drum  summoned  all  into 
line,  and  they  were  marched  to  the  mess  hall,  where  an  offi- 
cer presided  at  each  table,  and  no  one  was  allowed  to  take  a 
seat  without  command.  All  sat  down  together  and  all  arose 
together.  After  the  ranks  were  broken,  and  all  were  quietly 
seated  in  their  rooms,  a  tap  was  heard  at  the  boy's  door, 
which  he  opened,  and  there  found  a  sergeant  and  two  men 
with  their  guns  at  a  carry.  The  sergeant  said  :  "I  have 
orders  to  arrest  you,  sir,  and  take  you  to  Major  Hill." 

"OLord!"  The  boy  thought  his  time  had  come.  He 
wondered  if  his  father  had  any  conception  of  the  situation. 
Reaching  the  Major's  presence,  that  official  asked:  "Why 
were  you  not  at  roll  call  this  morning  ?  " 

"I  was  there,"  answered  the  boy. 

"Sergeant,  did  he  answer  to  his  name?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Well,  sir,  why  did  you  not  answer  to  your  name?" 

"  He  did  not  call  my  name,  sir;  I  was  there,  I  declare  I 
was  there,  but  did  not  hear  my  name  called." 

"Call  the  roll,  sergeant,"  ordered  the  Major.  The  ser- 
geant began.  When  he  reached  Bleecker,  J.  J. — 


20  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC. 

11  Stop,  sir,"  said  the  Major.     "  Is  that  your  name  ?" 

"  No,  sir,  my  name  is  James  Bleecker." 

"But,"  said  the  Major,  "you  told  me  your  name  was 
'  Just  James  Bleecker.'  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Well,  does  not  J.  stand  for  Just?" 

He  had  taken  all  these  pains  to  play  a  joke,  at  which,  how- 
ever, he  never  smiled. 

The  little  fellow  now  felt  he  had  landed  near  the  Inquisi- 
tion, so  he  began  to  think  over  all  the  bad  he  had  done  in 
the  past,  and  prepared  to  make  amends  in  order  to  meet  the 
dread  future,  which  he  argued  was  close  at  hand.  He  gave 
up  even  the  faintest  hope  of  ever  seeing  home  again,  and  but 
for  the  numberless  duties  which  he  was  called  on  to  perform, 
might  have  become  insane.  He  was  careful  to  obey  all  the 
rules,  and  learn  the  lessons.  Whenever  a  cadet  passed  a 
month  without  missing  a  lesson,  or  without  receiving  a  de- 
merit, he  was  credited  with  "minus  a  demerit,"  so  if  he 
should  receive  one,  he  would  still  be  without  a  demerit,  and 
thus  days,  and  weeks,  and  months  passed.  At  the  end  of  six 
months  the  little  fellow  had  a  perfect  report,"  and  was  minus 
six  demerits. 

During  all  this  time  he  wrote  his  mother  once  a  week,  and 
received  a  letter  from  her  each  week  in  return.  Those  sweet 
letters  from  his  dear  mother  were  always  full  of  tender  ex- 
pressions of  love  and  encouragement.  Mother-like,  she  built 
air  castles  for  her  boy,  and  looked  forward  to  the  time  when 
he  would  return  in  vacation  the  next  year — thought  she 
would  be  so  proud  of  him,  and  wondered  if  other  mothers 
loved  their  boys  as  she  loved  hers. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  21 

The  little  fellow  bore  the  separation  from  his  mother,  only 
because  he  could  not  do  otherwise.  He  had  but  one  dream 
in  the  world,  and  this  was  the  hope  of  seeing  her  once  more. 

Winter  came  on  with  its  snow,  and  from  the  mountains 
came  covered  wagons,  each  drawn  by  four  large  fat  horses, 
and  filled  with  big  red  apples,  chestnuts  and  other  good 
things.  The  harness  of  each  horse  contained  a  number  of 
little  bells,  the  ringing  of  which  gave  notice  of  the  coming  of 
all  these  "goodies."  This  was  all  new  to  the  little  cadet, 
for  he  had  never  seen  much  snow,  and  the  chestnuts  were 
entirely  new  to  him.  The  jingle  of  those  bells  became  sweet 
music  to  the  students.  When  one  of  the  wagons  was  allowed 
to  enter  the  campus  on  Saturdays,  it  was  an  occasion  of  the 
greatest  happiness. 

The  presidential  election  at  this  time  was  exciting  the  most 
intense  interest.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  candidate  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  while  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  Mr.  Breckin- 
ridge  were  Democratic  candidates,  and  Mr.  Bell,  that  of  the 
Whig  party.  So  much  excitement  had  taken  possession  of 
the  cadets  that  very  little  advancement  was  made  in  the 
studies  from  this  on.  The  little  Mississippi  cadet,  who  had 
learned  the  manual  and  field  movements,  found  himself  mov- 
ing with  the  current.  There  was  a  division  of  sentiment  in 
the  school,  but  most  of  the  cadets  favored  either  Mr.  Bell  or 
one  of  the  Democratic  candidates.  The  election  passed,  and 
Mr.  Lincoln  was  declared  president.  The  secession  feeling 
was  gaining  strongly,  while  the  months  passed.  All  kinds  of 
stories  of  insurrections  were  circulated  in  the  country,  one 
having  reached  Major  Hill  that  the  negroes  would  make  an 
attempt  to  capture  the  arsenal  at  Charlotte,  over  which  the 


22  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

cadets  kept  guard.  Major  Hill  had  served  in  the  Mexican 
war,  and  felt  no  alarm,  though  he  gave  instructions  for  the 
disposition  of  each  company  in  the  event  an  attack  was  made. 
The  excitement  continued  to  increase. 

Finally,  the  spring  of  1861  found  the  country  in  a  state  of 
anxiety  and  uncertainty,  the  ultimate  results  of  which  shocked 
the  world.  The  Southern  States  called  conventions  and  se- 
ceded from  the  Federal  Union  and  organized  a  separate 
government.  War  was  declared,  and  a  call  for  troops  was 
made  by  each  government.  Major  Hill  determined  to  give 
his  services  to  the  Confederate  cause  and  was  authorized  by 
the  governor  of  North  Carolina  to  raise  a  regiment.  Men 
were  instructed  to  rendezvous  at  Raleigh.  Major  Hill  an- 
nounced to  the  cadets  that  the  school  would  close,  and  those 
who  desired  to  enlist  must  obtain  consent  of  their  parents. 
The  cadets,  full  of  patriotism,  and  with  the  inspiration  of 
youth,  rushed  to  his  banner.  The  little  cadet  from  Mississippi 
caught  the  enthusiasm,  but  could  not  hope  for  permission  to 
join  the  army.  Every  thing  was  said  by  the  older  cadets  to 
stimulate  him,  and  he  determined  to  risk  all  and  go  too,  and, 
just  about  a  year  from  the  time  he  left  home,  he  presented  a 
telegram  to  Major  Hill  from  his  father  saying  he  could  enlist. 
The  Major  was  surprised  at  the  consent,  but  made  no  further 
remark.  (It  is  needless  to  state  the  message  was  a  forgery. 
The  little  fellow  gave  one  of  the  boys  a  gold  breast  pin  to 
write  it  on  a  telegraph  blank.)  One  hundred  and  ninety-two 
of  the  cadets  followed  to  Raleigh,  where  they  were  put  to 
work  drilling  the  new  soldiers. 

Major  Hill  was  elected  Colonel;  First  Lieutenant  C.  C. 
Lee,  who  was  commandant  at  the  Institute,  Lieutenant-Col- 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  23 

oner;  and  Lieutenant  Lane,   Professor  of  Languages,  Major 
of  the  First  North  Carolina  regiment  of  six  months'  troops. 

After  spending  two  months  in  camp,  drilling,  the  regiment 
was  ordered  to  Yorktown,  Va.,  and  soon  afterward  fought 
the  battle  of  Big  Bethel.  General  B.  F.  Butler  commanded 
the  Federal  forces,  Colonel  Hill,  the  Confederate,  which  con- 
sisted of  the  First  North  Carolina,  1,500  men,  and  the  corps 
of  Cadets,  about  190  strong.  This  was  the  first  battle  of  the 
war,  though  Fort  Sumter  had  been  captured  some  time  pre- 
vious. When  Colonel  Hill  advanced  on  the  enemy,  Colonel 
Lee  remained  in  the  rear  with  the  Cadets  deployed,  and  oc- 
cupying as  wide  a  front  as  the  regiment.  The  line  advanced 
in  perfect  order  until  Butler  opened  fire,  when  it  began  to 
give  way.  Colonel  Hill  rushed  to  the  front,  calling  on  the 
men  to  be  steady.  I  am  satisfied  it  was  the  only  time  during 
the  war  he  ever  became  excited.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lee 
saw  the  situation,  and  called  the  Cadets  to  attention.  He 
realized  that  every  thing  depended  on  their  behavior,  and  he 
counted  largely  on  the  military  training  he  had  given  them  to 
overcome  the  shock  they  had  received  in  seeing  the  regiment 
giving  away.  The  Cadets,  like  the  First  North  Carolina, 
never  had  their  mettle  tested  before,  but  they  had  the  advan- 
tage of  discipline  and  of  implicit  confidence  in  their  officers. 
Every  thing  was  lost  unless  the  Cadets  could  check  the  ad- 
vancing line  of  the  enemy.  Would  they  do  so?  Who  could 
describe  the  anxiety  of  Colonel  Hill  and  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Lee  in  those  few  moments.  The  character  of  the  Southern 
soldiers  must  be  made  within  the  next  five  minutes ! 


24  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER  II. 

FIRST  BATTLE  OF  THE  WAR  FOUGHT — YOUNG  CADETS  PROVE 
THEMSELVES  WORTHY  THEIR  LlNEAGE. 

The  feelings  which  occupy  the  mind  of  a  soldier  on  the 
eve  of  battle  have  often  been  described,  and  doubtless  all  old 
soldiers  have  somewhat  similar  recollections  of  those  trying 
occasions.  There  are  different  temperaments,  and  some 
suffer  much  more  than  others,  but  the  rule  is  almost  universal, 
that  a  soldier  is  fully  aware  of  the  danger,  and  awaits  results 
with  a  degree  of  doubt  and  uncertainty.  He  knows  the 
time  is  too  short  to  make  amends  for  the  past,  and  he  finds 
himself  in  the  hands  of  the  god  of  battle.  These  few  moments 
are  awful.  But  the  mind  of  a  man,  and  that  of  a  boy  on  such 
occasions,  can  hardly  be  compared.  While  the  Cadets  stood 
in  skirmish  line,  separated  five  paces  apart,  without  the  sup- 
port and  encouragement  which  they  would  receive  from 
elbow  touch  of  their  friends  and  companions,  and  seeing 
the  line  giving  way  in  their  front,  the  situation  was  in- 
describably trying.  But  they  stood  erect,  eyes  to  the  front, 
and  all  attention.  There  was  not  the  slightest  evidence  of 
doubt  along  that  line.  Doctor  Holmes  once  said:  "The 
training  of  a  boy  begins  a  hundred  years  before  his  birth." 
The  Cadets  were  ready  to  prove  the  statement.  They  were 
Southern  youths,  the  representatives  of  a  proud  race  of  people, 
whose  ancestors  boasted  a  high  order  of  manhood.  These 
young  fellows  had,  from  the  cradle,  been  plumed  for  just 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  25 

such  an  occasion,  and  the  military  training  received  at  Char- 
lotte, under  Colonel  Hill  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lee,  com- 
pleted the  lesson,  and  prepared  them  for  the  emergency. 
The  North  Carolina  regiment  passed  through  our  line,  and 
the  enemy  was  advancing.  It  was  a  moment  of  supreme 
suspense  to  Colonels  Hill  and  Lee. 

It  has  been  said  that  "  a  well-bred  game  cock  that  has 
been  without  food  until  nearly  starved,  if  placed  in  the  pres- 
ence of  another  game  cock  and  a  supply  of  food,  would  fight 
before  he  would  eat."  This  illustrates  the  character  of  that 
corps  of  Cadets.  It  would  be  a  disappointment  if  not  allowed 
to  advance.  Colonel  Lee  gave  the  order.  "  Forward, 
Cadets  !  guide  center  !  charge  bayonets  !  double  quick  ! "  We 
were  accustomed  to  his  commands.  His  voice  was  musical 
and  far  reaching.  It  was  like  the  blast  of  a  bugle.  The  con- 
fidence, born  of  education  and  military  discipline,  was  put  to 
the  test  now,  and  the  result  confirmed  the  highest  expecta- 
tions. The  boys  moved  forward  in  perfect  line.  There  was 
not  a  waver,  nor  a  bauble.  The  "minnies"  began  to  whiz, 
but  they  only  added  to  the  determination  to  drive  back  But- 
ler's line.  The  enemy  was  dazed  by  the  steadiness  of  the 
Cadets,  and  no  doubt  believed  that  it  was  the  advance  line 
of  reinforcements.  They  halted  and  began  to  fall  back. 
The  First  North  Carolina,  seeing  the  enemy  giving  way,  re- 
formed, and  rushed  to  the  support  of  the  Cadets.  When 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  works,  the  Cadets  opened 
fire  and  continued  to  advance.  The  works  were  taken,  and 
the  battle  won. 

This  was  an  awful  battle,  the  country  thought,  but  it  was  a 
mere  skirmish  compared  to  what  followed  a  few  months  later. 


26  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Only  two  Cadets  were  wounded,  while  eight  or  ten  of  the 
enemy  were  killed  and  a  few  wounded. 

The  battle  over,  the  Cadets  were  heroes.  They  thought 
they  were  invincible,  and  longed  for  another  opportunity  to 
further  distinguish  themselves.  After  this  battle,  several 
weeks  were  spent  in  camp,  which  became  very  monotonous. 
The  boys  feared  the  war  would  end  without  giving  them 
another  chance. 

During  this  inactivity,  the  little  soldier  from  Mississippi 
spent  much  time  in  thinking  of  his  mother,  father,  and  home. 
He  had  gone  into  the  army  without  the  consent  of  his  father, 
and  without  the  blessings  of  his  mother.  They  had  no  idea 
where  he  was.  Many  a  long  night  he  spent  crying  for  a  sight 
of  his  dear  mother.  He  was  not  afraid,  he  did  not  at  that 
time  dread  war,  because  he  knew  nothing  of  its  horrors,  and 
he  had  the  inspiration  of  youth,  without  the  wisdom  of  man- 
hood, all  on  his  side.  But  he  was  dying  for  a  sight  of  his 
mother.  He  felt  that  if  he  could  throw  his  arms  about  her 
neck,  and  hear  her  sweet  voice,  and  gain  her  consent,  he 
would  be  perfectly  happy,  but  he  had  gone  away  without 
even  telling  his  father,  and  what  was  worse,  was  living  under 
a  falsehood,  which  enabled  him  to  deceive  Colonel  Hill. 
What  was  to  be  done,  he  could  not  tell.  He  was  ashamed 
to  let  any  one  see  him  crying,  and  he  suffered  agonies. 
Finally  the  Cadets  disbanded  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
and  individually  joined  commands  from  their  homes.  The 
battle  of  Bull  Run  renewed  the  enthusiasm,  and  the  mere 
thought  of  leaving  the  army  would  be  treason  and  cowardice. 
The  little  fellow  from  Mississippi  found  himself  with  the  tide, 
afraid  to  go  home,  and  yet  dying  for  a  sight  of  his  mother. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  27 

He  enlisted  in  a  company  called  the  "Confederates"  from 
his  town,  which  was  commanded  by  (then)  Captain  O.  R. 
Singleton,  and  was  Company  "  C"  Eighteenth  Mississippi 
Infantry.  Soon  afterwards  the  battle  of  Ball's  Bluff  was 
fought  at  Leesburg.  Colonel  Baker,  a  gallant  Federal  officer, 
was  killed  here,  as  was  our  own  Colonel  Burt,  of  the 
Eighteenth  Mississippi.  The  Eighth  Virginia,  Thirteenth, 
Seventeenth,  and  Eighteenth  Mississippi  regiments  consti- 
tuted the  Confederate  forces.  The  Eighteenth  Mississippi 
and  the  Eighth  Virginia  winning  the  honors  only  because 
they  were  in  front.  A  great  many  were  killed  on  both  sides, 
and  the  soldiers  wrote  home  graphic  stories  of  the  battle. 
The  little  Mississippi  boy  cut  a  lock  of  hair  from  the  mane 
of  Colonel  Baker's  horse,  which  was  also  killed,  and  sent  it  to 
his  father  in  a  letter  in  which  he  described  experiences  his 
father  had  never  known.  He  remembered  the  stories  told 
by  him  and  the  overseers  of  the  hardships  they  endured 
while  boys,  and  he  compared  them  with  his  experiences. 
He  assumed  the  duties  of  a  man,  and  met  dangers  the  serious- 
ness of  which  he  could  scarcely  realize.  This  boy  had  been 
emphatically  a  mother's  boy,  timid  and  absolutely  dependent 
on  his  mother  for  every  thing.  What  a  change  had  taken 
place,  it  would  seem,  and  yet  he  cried  every  night  and  longed 
to  see  his  dear  mother ;  but  no  one  ever  saw  him  cry.  He 
was  afraid  they  would  mistake  the  cause.  When  his  father 
learned  where  he  was,  he  forthwith  started  to  see  him,  taking 
a  good  stock  of  clothing,  a  bag  of  provisions,  and  his  old 
body  servant,  faithful  "  Uncle  Freeman."  He  reached  camp 
late  in  the  afternoon  of  a  December  day,  1861.  He  was 
personally  the  friend  of  all  the  company,  and  brought  many 


28  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

of  them  letters  and  other  things  from  their  friends  and  families 
at  home,  but  he  had  little  time  for  any  thing  that  night,  except 
to  caress  his  boy.  Not  a  word  was  said  about  running  away, 
and  no  regrets  were  expressed  for  the  last  enlistment.  Every 
one  thought  the  war  would  end  before  the  time  was  out. 
Several  days  of  happiness  spent  together,  the  father  returned 
to  Mississippi,  where  the  dear  mother  was  waiting  to  hear 
from  her  boy.  "Uncle  Freeman"  was  left  to  take  care  of 
"Bud"  (the  negroes  all  called  him  so).  There  were  several 
negroes  in  the  mess  already,  but  Uncle  Freeman  must  look 
after  his  boy,  and  he  proved  himself  to  be  as  faithful  to 
"Bud"  as  he  had  always  been  to  "Master."  Fora  long" 
time  he  could  not  reconcile  himself  to  the  scant  rations  the 
soldiers  received,  and  spent  many  days  exploring  the  country 
for  eggs,  apples,  honey,  and  the  like,  which  added  much  to 
the  happiness  of  the  mess. 

About  this  time,  the  Twenty-first  Mississippi  Regiment  was 
assigned  to  the  brigade  in  place  of  the  Eighth  Virginia,  and 
the  brigade  was  commanded  by  General  B.  W.  Griffith.  The 
winter  had  far  advanced ;  the  troops  were  comfortable  in  their 
winter  quarters,  and  had  made  many  pleasant  acquaintances 
among  the  good  people  of  Leesburg.  Early  in  the  first  spring 
month  orders  came  to  break  camp,  and  the  march  was  begun. 
The  parting  of  the  brigade  from  the  Leesburg  people  was  sad 
and  touching.  The  citizens  felt  that  their  defenders  were  be- 
ing taken  away,  and  the  soldiers  were  not  forgetful  of  the 
many  kindnesses  they  had  received  at  their  hands.  Arriving 
at  Rapidan  Station,  it  began  to  snow,  and  soon  the  ground 
was  covered  several  inches.  The  wagons  were  several  miles 
behind,  and  the  indications  were  strongly  favorable  for  going 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  29 

to  bed  in  the  snow  without  tents.  This  condition  had  never 
before  been  presented  to  the  men.  Soon  big  log  fires  were 
built,  and  the  snow  raked  away  for  spreading  pallets,  when 
two  wagons  came  into  camp.  They  contained  a  few  tents, 
which  were  put  up,  and  twenty  men  arranged  to  sleep  in  each 
tent.  The  experience  was  novel.  The  men  had  to  edge  in, 
and  no  one  could  turn  over  or  change  his  position  until  all 
the  crowd  was  ready.  One  fellow  would  say:  "Let's  turn 
over;"  and  when  agreed  to,  all  would  turn  at  once.  The 
soldier  boy  was  not  willing  for  Uncle  Freeman  to  sleep  out- 
side, and  being  so  persistent,  the  men  said  :  "  Let  '  Freeman ' 
come  in;"  and  he  did  sleep  at  "  Bud's"  feet.  The  command 
remained  there  only  two  days,  and  was  hurried  off  to  Rich- 
mond, and  down  to  the  Peninsula,  between  the  York  and 
James  rivers.  The  position  assigned  Griffith's  brigade  was 
along  the  banks  of  the  "Warwick,"  a  tide  river  which  ran 
across  the  Peninsula.  Soon  the  entire  command  was  busy 
building  earth-works  and  filling  bags  with  sand.  Several 
weeks  were  passed  here,  the  enemy  being  very  active  each 
day,  trying  to  find  out  how  much  force  the  Confederates  had. 
It  got  to  be  a  daily  occurrence  to  move  up  their  line  and  skir- 
mish for  half  an  hour  and  then  retire.  On  one  of  these  occa- 
sions, Colonel  McKinney,  formerly  a  professor  at  the  school, 
who  felt  some  anxiety  for  the  nerves  of  his  regiment,  stood 
on  top  of  the  breast-works  with  his  arms  folded,  and  slowly 
walked  along,  stepping  from  one  sand-bag  to  another,  while 
exposed  to  a  deadly  fire.  The  writer  watched  him,  and 
prayed  he  would  not  be  hurt,  but  one  of  the  last  shots  fired 
pierced  his  brain,  and  a  gallant  soldier  and  Christian  gentle- 
man died  on  top  of  the  breast-works.  The  Federals  would 


30  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

send  up  a  balloon  every  day,  from  which  they  would  take 
observations.  The  Confederates  had  no  long-range  guns, 
and  shot  without  even  a  hope  of  reaching  it.  Finally,  after 
several  days,  a  man  riding  a  yellow  horse,  hitched  to  a  set  of 
wheels,  on  which  rested  ,a  long  gun,  shaped  like  a  cannon, 
but  of  very  small  caliber,  came  into  camp  and  unlimbered. 
He  spent  a  few  moments  arranging  his  gun,  and  then  looked 
over  the  ground  as  if  to  pick  out  a  place  for  the  balloon  to 
fall,  took  aim  and  fired.  Sure  enough,  the  thing  collapsed 
and  came  to  the  ground,  and  there  it  remained  till  destroyed. 
A  yell  went  up  from  the  Confederate  side,  and  the  man  lim- 
bered up  and  rode  off.  Nothing  could  be  learned  of  this 
man.  No  one  seemed  to  know  any  thing  about  him,  but  he 
did  his  work,  and  was  off.  The  place  was  called  Dam  No. 
2,  and  had  been  guarded  by  a  few  Louisiana  troops  all  win- 
ter, who  had  built  comfortable  houses  of  pine  poles,  and 
covered  the  dirt  floors  with  pine  straw  to  the  depth  of  a  foot 
or  more.  The  soldiers  who  built  the  houses  had  been  ordered 
to  another  point,  and  the  sick  and  disabled  men  from  Griffith's 
brigade,  as  well  as  the  negroes,  were  sleeping  in  them. 
Finally,  a  fellow  who  had  been  sick  and  had  returned  for  duty 
was  seen  to  pick  something  from  his  shirt  and  drop  it  in  the 
fire.  The  Mississippi  boy  saw  it  and  asked  the  man  what  it  was. 
He  answered  by  catching  another  and  showing  it.  The  boy's 
"  chum  "  saw  it  and  became  furious;  told  the  man  to  leave  the 
mess,  he  was  a  hog ;  whereupon  the  fellow  stated  they  were  on 
every  one,  and  he  should  not  be  punished  on  that  account ; 
but  the  other  was  obdurate  and  ordered  him  off.  That  after- 
noon, the  boy  and  his  friend  concluded  to  go  off  a  short  dis- 
tance and  examine  their  clothes,  and,  much  to  their  horror, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  31 

found  they  were  "full."  They  changed  every  thing,  and, 
burying  the  suits  which  they  had  taken  off,  went  back  dis- 
graced, in  their  own  estimation.  This,  however,  did  not  last 
long; — sure  enough  everybody  had  them. 

After  two  weeks  spent  at  Dam  No.  2,  the  army  again  took 
up  the  march,  this  time  to  Richmond.  Saturday  night,  at 
nine  o'clock,  May  9,  1862,  every  thing  was  ready  to  move. 
It  had  been  raining  several  days,  and  the  roads  were  very 
muddy  and  heavy.  The  army  moved  along  all  night,  halting 
and  starting  in  mud  frequently  waist-deep.  The  darkness 
was  intense.  We  reached  Williamsburg  at  sunrise.  As  the 
command  passed  along  the  street,  General  Jos.  E.  Johnston 
stood  on  the  gallery  of  the  hotel.  This  was  the  first  time 
Griffith's  brigade  ever  saw  him.  He  was  in  command.  The 
men  were  thoroughly  broken  down.  It  was  probably  the 
hardest  night  they  had  ever  spent,  and  war  in  reality  was  on 
the  country. 


32  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  RETREAT  FROM  THE  PENINSULA — THE  BATTLE  OF 

WlLLIAMSBURG. 

The  enemy  followed  closely  our  retreat,  and  pressed  us  so 
vigorously  that  General  Johnston  found  it  necessary  to  give 
battle.  Griffith's  brigade  had  been  the  rear  guard  all  night. 
Just  as  this  brigade  passed  through  Williamburg,  it  was  met 
by  other  troops,  double-quicking  to  the  rear.  Soon  the 
battle  opened  with  fury.  Battery  after  battery  came  flying 
through  the  streets,  the  cannoneers  holding  on  to  the  limber 
and  caisson  boxes  with  all  their  strength.  The  broken  down 
men  and  horses  of  an  hour  ago  were  pushing  on  with  re- 
newed strength  and  flaming  eyes.  The  scene  was  exciting. 
Not  an  eye  was  turned  to  right  or  left.  The  battery  horses, 
with  their  nostrils  distended,  every  sinew  in  their  bodies 
worked  to  full  tension,  went  flying  by.  The  gait  was  so  rapid 
the  men  could  scarcely  retain  their  places  on  the  boxes.  As 
each  battery  reached  position,  the  pieces  were  unlimbered, 
and  opened  fire.  The  time  seemed  an  age,  and  yet  it  was 
but  a  moment.  Before  half  the  line  was  in  position,  the 
wounded  were  being  brought  to  the  rear.  The  battle  had 
opened  with  a  fury  the  troops  had  never  witnessed  before. 
Our  little  Confederate  was  standing  on  the  roadside  with  his 
regiment,  expecting  every  moment  to  hear  the  order,  "At- 
tention !  "  But  the  promptness  of  the  troops  sent  back  made 
it  unnecessary. 

The  battle  of  Williamsburg  opened  while  the  church  bells 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  33 

were  ringing.  It  was  Sunday,  and  those  Christian  people 
who  had  expected  to  offer  up  prayers  for  the  preservation 
and  success  of  our  army,  found  it  necessary  to  hunt  a  place 
of  safety.  The  battle  of  Williamsburg  taught  the  enemy  a 
lesson,  and  at  its  conclusion  we  began  again  the  to  march 
to  Richmond,  which  continued  without  further  trouble 
through  the  day  and  night.  It  had  been  raining  since  we 
left  Dam  No.  2,  on  the  Warwick  river.  The  seriously 
wounded  were  left  behind.  The  large  wagon  train  and  the 
artillery  cut  the  roads  badly,  and  the  march  was  through 
slush  and  mud  knee  deep.  Frequently  the  heavy  guns 
would  sink  in  mud  holes,  and  the  men  were  constantly  called 
on  to  put  their  shoulders  to  the  wheels  to  lift  them  out. 
Monday  morning  found  the  dirtiest  and  most  miserable  look- 
ing body  of  men  it  is  possible  to  imagine ;  but  on  they 
trudged,  half  dead  from  fatigue  and  loss  of  sleep.  No  un- 
usual circumstance  occurred  until  the  following  Thursday. 
Without  a  mouthful  of  food  of  any  kind  to  eat  since  Monday 
night,  the  command  was  in  bad  condition  and  worse  humor. 
We  had  reached  a  point  where  the  York  river  on  one  side, 
and  the  James  river  on  the  other,  ran  near  enough  the  road 
to  allow  the  enemy's  gun-boats  to  shell  us  from  both  rivers. 
This  was  very  demoralizing,  and  was  a  condition  which  the 
men  had  not  looked  for.  We  were  unaccustomed  to  the 
gun-boats,  and  exceedingly  chary  of  those  large  shells,  which 
filled  the  air  with  shrieks,  and  other  wicked  sounds,  as  well 
as  with  limbs  and  tree  tops.  The  fact  of  their  being  gun- 
boats, iron  clad  "critters"  in  the  water  which  we  could  not 
reach,  seemed  a  hundred  times  worse  than  we  afterward 
found  them.  Fears  were  entertained  that  the  enemy  would 


34  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

land  a  force,  and  under  cover  of  their  water-craft,  strike  us 
on  the  flank.  This  was  near  the  White  House,  the  place 
where  General  Washington  first  met  his  wife.  A  few  mo- 
ments after,  Griffith's  brigade  reached  this  point,  and,  while 
standing  in  mud  knee  deep,  orders  came  to  file  out  in  the 
woods  on  the  York  river  side.  After  reaching  a  slight  ele- 
vation, Colonel  T.  W.  Griffin,  of  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi 
Regiment,  halted  the  command  and  spoke  to  his  men.  He 
said :  "  The  enemy  has  landed  a  large  force  near  the  White 
House,  and  we  are  selected  to  drive  them  back  to  their  boats. 
They  outnumber  us  greatly,  but  the  safety  of  the  army  re- 
quires that  we  whip  them."  He  wanted  the  men  to  under- 
stand it  was  a  desperate  occasion,  and  if  it  became  necessary 
to  protect  the  army  by  sacrificing  the  brigade,  the  sacrifice 
would  be  made,  but  we  would  do  our  duty.  He  cautioned 
each  man  who  had  a  long  range  gun  to  confine  his  fire  to 
men  on  horseback.  The  enemy  had  instructions  to  pick  off 
Confederate  officers,  and  we  would  practice  the  same  tactics. 
Hungry  and  tired,  wet  and  sleepy,  the  brigade  moved  toward 
the  White  House.  Ordinarily,  such  desperate  conditions 
would  have  filled  the  men  with  dread ;  but  they  moved  to 
the  slaughter  with  no  apparent  fear.  The  shells  from  the 
gun-boats  were  whizzing  and  whirling  over  our  heads,  making 
havoc  of  the  timber,  but  silently  the  men  moved  on.  We 
reached  a  place  where  there  had  at  one  time  been  a  settle- 
ment, but  now  only  tall  chimneys  and  beautiful  trees  re- 
mained, where  had  stood  a  princely  home.  Beyond  was  an 
open  field,  at  the  far  side  of  which  stood  the  enemy's  line  of 
battle.  Through  the  foliage  we  could  see  their  skirmish  line. 
Griffith's  brigade  immediately  formed  along  the  skirt  of  woods 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMY.  35 

surrounding  the  old  settlement,  and  advanced  a  skirmish 
line.  No  more  solemn  occasion  or  more  desperate  conditions 
ever  confronted  a  body  of  men  than  the  situation  at  that 
moment.  Field  officers  were  cautioning  their  men,  adjutants 
were  repeating  the  cautions,  and  company  officers  stood  be- 
hind their  companies  to  see  that  every  man  did  his  full  duty. 
While  the  preliminaries  were  going  on,  the  enemy  retired  to 
the  river  under  cover  of  their  gun-boats.  Why,  we  never 
knew,  but  when  our  skirmish  line  advanced  that  of  the  en- 
emy fell  rapidly  back.  There  was  no  battle,  and,  as  night 
came  on,  the  brigade  retraced  the  route  by  which  it  came, 
and  found  the  army  far  beyond  the  point  of  danger.  After 
three  days  and  nights  without  rations,  and  rain  falling  upon 
us  continually,  we  went  into  camp  near  New  Kent  Court- 
house, about  five  miles  distant  from  our  starting  point.  Soon 
afterward,  a  wagon  loaded  with  corn  was  brought  in,  and 
Tations  of  one  ear  to  each  man  were  distributed.  Most  of 
the  men  ate  the  corn  raw,  but  a  few  tried  to  boil  it  into 
hominy.  None,  however,  succeeded  fully,  because  they 
would  taste  and  taste  while  it  was  cooking  until  it  all  was 
gone.  Early  next  morning  the  command  was  called  into  line. 
The  enemy  had  driven  in  our  pickets,  and  we  expected  a 
brush.  Colonel  Griffin,  of  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi,  told 
his  men:  "The  enemy's  haversacks  are  filled  with  ham  and 
biscuit,  and  if  you  want  rations  you  must  capture  them." 
But  the  enemy  consisted  of  a  small  cavalry  force  and  did  not 
give  us  the  chance.  That  night,  after  halting  for  an  hour's 
rest,  with  no  hope  of  getting  any  thing  to  eat,  Colonel  Griffin 
told  his  men  the  orders  would  not  permit  any  man  to  interfere 
with  private  property,  yet  if  a  cow  tried  to  bite  any  man  that 


36  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

cow  must  be  shot.  But  the  cow  never  came,  and  we  trudged 
through  the  mud  and  rain  all  night.  The  following  morning 
we  drew  a  pint  of  flour  each,  no  salt,  no  meat.  We  mixed 
the  flour  with  water,  wrapped  it  around  our  ram-rods,  and 
baked  it  over  the  fire.  It  was  the  sweetest  morsel  our 
"Little  Confederate"  ever  tasted.  He  was  never  so  hungry 
before  or  since. 

A  few  days  more  found  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia 
camped  along  the  south  bank  of  the  Chickahominy,  where 
in  a  few  weeks  were  fought  a  series  of  the  greatest  battles 
of  modern  times. 


BILLY  "  BLAKE. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  37 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  ARMY  ARRIVES  AT  THE  CHICKAHOMINY  RIVER,  AND  BE- 
GINS TO  FORTIFY — THE  BATTLE  OF  SEVEN  PINES — UNCLE 
FREEMAN  AND  A  BOMB-SHELL — BILLY  BLAKE  AND  A  PA- 
PER COLLAR. 

The  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  was  now  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Chickahominy,  busily  engaged  digging  ditches  and 
throwing  up  breast-works.  General  McClellan  crossed  a 
large  body  of  his  army,  and  began  to  fortify  his  position  on 
our  right.  General  Johnston  determined  to  prevent  it,  and 
moved  General  A.  P.  Hill's  division  to  the  attack,  which 
brought  on  the  battle  of  Seven  Pines  (Fair  Oaks),  one  of 
the  most  stubbornly  contested  battles  for  the  time  it  lasted 
during  the  war.  Griffith's  brigade  occupied  a  ravine  on  Mrs. 
Price's  farm,  being  held  in  reserve.  The  horrors  of  the 
battle  could  well  be  understood  by  the  great  number  of 
wounded  that  were  hurried  to  the  rear.  We  expected  every 
moment  to  be  called  on,  but  we  did  not  move  until  after 
night.  About  ten  o'clock  we  moved  to  the  front,  passing 
over  the  dead  and  wounded  of  both  armies.  Our  troops 
had  driven  the  enemy  from  its  works,  and  far  beyond,  leav- 
ing its  dead  and  wounded  in  our  hands.  Griffith's  brigade 
stood  on  picket  all  night,  amid  the  groans  of  the  wounded 
and  dying,  and  among  thousands  of  the  dead.  We  were 
cautioned  to  keep  very  quiet,  the  enemy  were  but  a  few 
yards  from  us,  and  would  open  fire  if  they  discovered  us. 

Captain  Bostwick,  of  Company  "  H,"  Eighteenth  Missis- 
sippi, known  as  the  Hamer  Rifles  from  Yazoo  county,  was 


38  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

a  very  large  and  fleshy  man.  He  owned  a  body-servant 
named  Tom,  who  was  ordinarily  very  faithful  and  generally 
on  hand,  but  the  surroundings  just  now  were  not  congenial 
to  any  of  us,  to  say  nothing  of  Tom.  Captain  Bostwick  was 
a  fearless  man,  who  knew  no  danger,  but  wanted  to  obey 
orders.  He  was  hungry,  and  began  in  a  low  tone  to  call, 
"Tom!"  "Tom!"  "TOM!"  Tom  did  not  answer,  but  the 
Yanks  did.  We  were  lying  down  in  a  thicket  of  small  pines, 
which  were  riddled  in  a  few  minutes.  It  seemed  as  if  they 
had  a  million  men,  and  the  way  we  clung  to  the  ground 
would  have  been  credible  to  a  lot  of  flounders.  We  remained 
quiet  for  an  hour  or  so,  and  when  daylight  came  the  enemy 
had  recrossed  the  Chickahominy.  In  this  battle  General 
Johnston  was  severely  wounded.  He  was  carried  to  Rich- 
mond and  placed  in  the  Ballard  Hotel,  where  he  lay  be- 
tween life  and  death  for  some  weeks.  At  this  time  peerless 
Robert  E.  Lee  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Army 
of  Northern  Virginia.  Griffith's  brigade  was  returned  to  the 
ravine  on  Mrs.  Price's  farm,  through  which  ran  the  Chicka- 
hominy river,  and  here  we  remained  several  days  watching 
the  enemy.  Each  day  our  artillery  would  take  position  and 
shell  the  enemy,  who  responded  in  good  shape.  It  finally 
reached  the  point  when  the  latter  would  fire  on  a  single  man, 
who  exposed  himself.  During  all  this  time  our  wagons  and 
servants  were  far  in  the  rear.  We  had  not  seen  Uncle 
Freeman  for  two  weeks,  and  we  wondered  what  had  become 
of  him.  He  finally  turned  up,  however, -one  afternoon,  just 
as  the  sun  was  disappearing  behind  the  woods.  Uncle 
Freeman  had  been  in  Richmond  doing  odd  jobs  to  make 
money,  with  which  to  buy  something  to  eat  for  our  mess. 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  39 

He  reached  the  left  of  the  line,  and  stood  gazing  at  the 
Yankee  camps  across  the  river.  He  had  a  blue  bucket  of 
molasses  on  his  head,  and  a  sack  of  baker's  bread  and 
bologna  sausage  in  his  hand.  Uncle  Freeman  had  curiosity 
like  other  people,  and  against  the  advice  of  several  men  he 
walked  up  to  the  crown  of  the  hill  and  watched  the  enemy. 
He  had  been  there  probably  three  minutes  when  about  twenty 
guns  opened  on  him.  The  shells  tore  up  the  ground  and 
threw  dirt  fifty  feet  high.  But  when  the  dust  cleared  away 
Uncle  Freeman  was  gone.  We  afterward  learned  he  was 
in  Richmond,  nine  miles  away,  for  supper.  What  became 
of  his  supplies  we  never  knew,  but  the  circumstance  made 
a  Christian  of  Uncle  Freeman.  He  held  prayer-meeting 
every  night  in  camp  after  that  for  a  month,  and  would  force 
the  other  negroes  in  the  regiment  to  attend.  He  said  :  "I 
gwine  ter  bless  de  Lord  all  the  balance  of  my  life,  for  spar- 
ing me  on  that  occasion."  Uncle  Freeman,  until  the  day 
of  his  death,  would  tell  about  how  the  Yankees  blowed  him 
plumb  to  Richmond.  We  asked  him  what  became  of  the 
molasses.  He  said:  "  Gord  er  mighty  knows.  I  aynt  seed 
em  sence." 

William  Blake,  a  warm  friend  of  the  Little  Confederate,  was 
detailed  by  Colonel  Griffin  as  courier  for  the  regiment.  He 
was  called  "Billy  Blake,"  and  was  a  pet  of  the  entire  regi- 
ment. Billy  was  exceedingly  handsome,  and  up  to  this  time 
managed  to  keep  himself  well  dressed.  He  and  the  Little 
Confederate  were  about  the  same  age.  They  were  very  suc- 
cessful foragers,  and  generally  knew  what  was  going  on.  By 
some  means,  Billy  got  hold  of  a  box  of  paper  collars,  the  first 
they  ever  heard  of.  He  divided  them  with  his  friend,  and 


40  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

they  agreed  when  one  was  soiled  it  should  be  given  to  Uncle 
Freeman  to  wash.  They  each  gave  Uncle  Freeman  some 
soiled  clothes  and  two  paper  collars,  requesting  him  to  have 
them  ready  that  afternoon.  Soon  Uncle  Freeman  had  the 
things  in  a  kettle  boiling.  When  he  was  ready  to  take  them 
out,  which  he  proceeded  to  do  with  a  stick,  he  could  not  find 
the  collars.  He  knew  he  put  them  in  the  kettle  together 
with  other  things,  and  could  not  account  for  their  absence. 
The  two  boys  were  sitting  at  the  root  of  a  large  tree,  watching 
and  listening  to  Uncle  Freeman.  He  said:  "  Hi,  here!  what 
dun 'come  of  dem  nice  white  collars?"  He  raked  the  bottom 
of  the  kettle  again  and  again,  but  found  no  collars.  He  then 
emptied  the  water  and  found  a  few  fragments  of  paper.  He 
said:  "My  God!  dis  is  mighty  curious.  I  put  dem  collars 
in  that  kettle  sure,  and  I  been  standing  here  all  the  time." 
The  boys  heard  him  talking,  so  Billy  said  to  him:  "Uncle 
Freeman,  hurry  up!  'Bud'  and  I  want  to  go."  Uncle  Free- 
man walked  over  to  the  boys  with  a  few  scraps  of  paper  in 
his  hand.  He  said  :  "  Mars  Billy,  did  you  give  me  any  white 
collars  to  wash?"  "Yes,"  said  Billy,  "we  gave  you  two, 
and  we  would  like  to  have  them  right  away ;  we  are  going  to 
town."  Uncle  Freeman  was  greatly  troubled.  He  could 
not  explain  the  loss,  so  Billy  told  him  he  must  pay  for  them, 
and  that  each  one  was  worth  a  dollar.  Billy  collected  two 
dollars  from  him,  and  arranged  with  another  friend,  Jim 
Finley,  to  tell  Uncle  Freeman  they  were  paper,  and,  of 
course,  could  not  be  washed.  Well,  now,  maybe  Uncle 
Freeman  did  n't  rear  and  charge  !  It  was  a  long  time  before 
Billy  Blake  could  get  any  more  clothes  washed  by  Uncle 
Freeman.  He  talked  about  it  for  several  weeks,  saying : 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM)'.  41 

"  Nobody  but  a  Yankee  would  er  made  collars  out  of  paper 
to  'ceive  folks."  Of  course,  the  two  dollars  were  returned 
to  Uncle  Freeman  many  times  over. 

Billy  Blake  was  a  gallant  soldier,  as  brave  as  Forrest.  He 
was  desperately  wounded  at  Gettysburg,  and  lay  on  the  field 
a  day  and  night  without  attention.  He  was  finally  picked 
up,  but  with  little  hope  that  he  would  recover.  The  Federal 
surgeons  amputated  one  of  his  legs  near  the  hip,  but  Billy 
still  lives,  and  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  New  Orleans,  where 
he  is  surrounded  by  a  lovely  family  and  a  large  circle  of 
friends.  He  and  the  Little  Confederate  are  still  devoted 
friends. 

Uncle  Freeman  was  faithful  and  true  to  the  last,  and  his 
honesty  was  unimpeachable.  He  was  my  friend  as  well  as 
my  servant,  and,  negro  though  he  was,  I  drop  a  sad  but 
willing  tear  to  his  memory,  and  as  a  tribute  to  his  loyalty. 


42  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  SEVEN  DAYS'  BATTLES  OF  RICHMOND — THE  BATTLE  OP- 
SAVAGE  STATION — THE  DEATH  OF  GENERAL  GRIFFITH — 
COLONEL  WILLIAM  BARKSDALE  ASSUMES  COMMAND  OF 
THE  BRIGADE — THE  LITTLE  CONFEDERATE  TRIES  TO  GET 
A  PAIR  OF  SHOES. 

The  seven  days'  battles  of  Richmond  will  be  a  study  for 
future  military  leaders.  We  very  often  hear  the  expression 
that  this  or  that  campaign  or  movement  was  "Napoleonic," 
but  the  student  of  the  future  will  find  more  genius  in  the  con- 
ception of  the  plan  of  the  seven  days'  battles  than  he  will  in 
any  battle  Napoleon  ever  fought.  A  writer  in  the  Boston 
Transcript  several  years  ago,  in  a  commentary  upon  the  dif- 
ferent generals  of  the  war,  stated:  "  McClellan  was  the 
greatest  general  developed  on  either  side,  and  while  he  was  not 
always  successful,  he  never  suffered  defeat."  This  statement 
will  not  be  sustained  by  a  single  man  who  served  in  the  "Army 
of  the  Potomac "  during  the  seven  days'  battles.  General 
McClellan  was  not  only  defeated  at  Richmond,  but  he  was 
routed.  Nor  is  this  fact  a  disparagement  of  him  as  a  great 
commander.  On  the  contrary,  we  believe  he  was  the  only 
general  at  that  time  who  could  have  saved  the  Union  army. 
The  attack  of  General  Lee's  army  was  irresistible.  No  troops 
on  earth,  with  the  arms  then  in  use,  could  have  withstood  his 
charges.  It  has  been  thirty-three  years  since  those  great  bat- 
tles were  fought,  but  the  scenes  and  incidents  which  our  Little 
Confederate  witnessed  on  those  occasions  are  as  fresh  in  his 
mind  as  when  they  occurred,  and  his  opinion  of  what  took 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  43 

place  then  has  been  confirmed  again  and  again  by  subsequent 
experience  and  study. 

Stonewall  Jackson,  with  his  command,  was  in  the  Shenan- 
doah  valley  confronting  a  superior  force.  General  Lee's 
plan  provided  that  he  should  move  with  great  dispatch  to  the 
rear  of  McClellan's  right  flank.  The  attack  was  made  on 
Thursday  afternoon.  The  enemy's  right  flank  was  doubled 
back  on  his  right  center,  having  been  driven  from  his  works 
at  every  point  where  an  attack  was  made.  It  was  hoped 
that  Jackson  would  reach  his  rear  on  Friday,  but  he  did  not. 
On  Saturday,  the  battle  of  "Gains'  Mill"  was  fought. 
Griffith's  brigade  was  held  in  reserve.  We  watched  Cobb's 
Georgia  brigade  move  forward  through  the  Chickahominy 
swamp,  under  a  deadly  fire  from  what  was  known  as  the 
"Wild  Cat  Battery."  This  fort,  from  which  the  big  guns 
were  shelling  Cobb's  men,  was  casemated  with  railroad  iron, 
which  had  ten  to  fifteen  feet  of  earth  thrown  on  top.  In 
front  of  this,  and  also  of  the  breast-works  on  either  side,  all 
the  timber  had  been  cut  down,  falling  in  the  direction  of 
our  lines.  All  the  small  branches  of  the  trees  had  bayonets 
stuck  on  them,  and  it  was  impossible  for  Cobb's  men  to  make 
much  headway,  but,  in  spite  of  the  obstructions,  these  brave 
Georgians  pushed  on.  We  watched  them  with  great  ad- 
miration, and  saw  them  finally  climb  over  the  enemy's  works. 
The  enemy,  however,  was  reinforced,  and  very  soon  drove 
the  Georgians  back,  yet  the  gallant  fellows  reformed  and 
captured  the  fort  the  second  time,  but  were  driven  back 
again.  Night  closed  the  battle.  Griffith's  brigade  moved 
forward,  and  remained  in  line  of  battle  all  night.  It  was  un- 
derstood we  would  renew  the  attack  in  the  morning.  Two 


44  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

men,  Bateman  Brown  and  William  Howd,  were  detailed  from 
Company  "C"  Eighteenth  Mississippi  regiment,  with  in- 
structions to  crawl  as  near  the  enemy's  works  as  possible,  and 
report  the  first  movement  of  any  attempt  at  retreat.  We 
heard  that  in  case  he  moved,  we  would  attack  and  hold  him. 
Brown  and  Howd  returned  about  two  o'clock  Sunday  morning 
with  the  information,  but  we  did  not  advance.  It  was  said  be- 
cause General  Magruder,  our  division  commander,  failed  to 
carry  out  his  instructions.  About  sunrise  we  moved  forward, 
and  soon  had  possession  of  the  enemy's  works  without  firing  a 
gun.  As  we  stood  in  the  fort  and  ditches,  we  wondered  what  it 
all  meant.  Suddenly  the  enemy's  batteries,  a  mile  off,  began 
shelling  our  line.  We  formed  on  both  sides  of  the  York 
River  Railroad.  There  were  evidences  of  great  confusion 
in  the  enemy's  ranks.  All  kinds  of  army  and  camp  stuff 
were  scattered  in  every  direction,  cooking  utensils,  medical, 
commissary  and  quartermaster  supplies,  and  hundreds  of 
other  things.  It  was  intensely  hot,  and  to  prevent  our  men 
from  getting  water,  medicines  were  thrown  in  the  wells  and 
springs. 

While  waiting  the  order  to  advance,  a  wicket  shell  struck 
the  railroad  section  house  just  in  our  front  and  exploded,  a 
piece  of  which  we  distinctly  saw  pass  over  our  heads.  In 
falling  it  struck  General  Griffith  on  the  thigh,  tearing  the 
flesh  down  to  his  knee,  while  he  was  sitting  on  his  horse  near 
the  fort  just  in  our  rear.  He  was  removed  to  Richmond, 
where  he  died  that  night.  His  death  was  a  great  grief  as 
well  as  a  great  loss.  He  was  a  man  of  much  promise,  and 
while  he  had  already  distinguished  himself,  would  certainly 
have  won  still  greater  distinction  had  he  lived. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  45 

Colonel  William  Barksdale,  of  the  Thirteenth  Mississippi, 
the  senior  colonel  of  the  brigade,  assumed  command.  We 
moved  forward,  overtook  the  enemy  about  two  miles  distant, 
and  immediately  brought  on  the  battle  of  Savage  Station 
(the  enemy  called  it  Peach  Orchard),  where  only  two  regi- 
ments of  Barksdale's  brigade  were  engaged,  the  Thirteenth 
and  Twenty-first  Mississippi,  but  several  other  brigades  were 
in  it,  and  all  together  made  a  very  hot  fight.  The  battle  was 
carried  into  the  night,  a  terrific  rain  followed,  and  next  morn- 
ing the  ground  was  covered  with  pools  of  water.  Several 
thousand  Federal  soldiers  lay  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field 
and  in  the  adjacent  woods.  Our  Little  Confederate  had  lost 
his  shoes  in  the  mud  of  the  Chickahominy  bottom  the  day 
before,  and  asked  a  friend  (Fort  Saunders)  to  accompany  him 
among  the  dead,  and  see  if  they  could  find  a  pair  to  fit. 
They  examined  several  pairs,  and  finally  Saunders  said : 
"  Here  is  a  good  pair  of  boots,  but  they  are  so  wet  I  can  not 
pull  them  off."  He  told  the  Little  Confederate,  "Hold  on 
to  one  arm  while  I  pull  at  the  boot,"  and  while  thus  engaged 
the  Yankee's  leg  came  off.  A  shell  had  nearly  torn  it  off 
before,  but  we  had  not  observed  it.  When  Saunders  fell 
backward  with  the  leg,  the  Little  Confederate  said,  "  I  do  not 
want  any  shoes,"  and  starting  away  passed  a  man  he  sup- 
posed to  be  dead,  who  had  a  splendid  haversack  which  the 
little  fellow  fancied  he  wanted.  He  thought  it  would  be  no 
harm  to  take  the  haversack,  and  stooped  down  to  do  so. 
As  he  pulled  at  it,  the  Yankee  opened  his  eyes  and  asked 
for  water,  saying:  "There  is  a  spoon  in  my  haversack." 
The  Little  Confederate  took  the  spoon  and  gave  him  water 
from  a  pool  near  by.  The  man  died  after  drinking  the  third 


46  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

spoonful.  The  Little  Confederate  did  not  disturb  the  haver- 
sack, but  he  kept  the  spoon  and  has  it  yet.  It  is  a  very 
large  tablespoon,  engraved  "  H.  E.  C.,"  and  was  manu- 
factured by  "Butler  &  McCarthy."  He  advertised  it  in  the 
Detroit  Free  Press  for  a  year,  but  never  elicited  an  inquiry 
or  response  of  any  kind.  He  used  the  spoon  through  the 
balance  of  the  war,  but  wore  the  end  off  parching  corn. 

On  looking  over  the  battle  field,  we  found  evidence  of 
great  confusion  and  defeat.  The  enemy  threw  away  their 
guns  and  every  thing  else  which  would  impede  their  flight, 
but  .the  guns  were  nearly  all  bent  or  broken.  They  had 
placed  them  between  two  sapplings  as  they  ran  and  bent 
the  barrels.  Prior  to  this  time  we  had  very  few  rifles. 
Nothing  but  old  muzzle-loading,  smooth-bore  muskets.  It 
will,  therefore,  be  easily  undersiood  at  what  disadvantage  we 
fought  at  long  range.  The  only  thing  we  could  do  was  to 
"charge  'em,"  and  get  within  smooth-bore  distance.  Up  to 
this  time  our  men  had  driven  the  enemy  from  every  point 
of  attack.  We  remained  in  the  Savage  Station  neighbor- 
hood Monday  while  the  cavalry  were  trying  to  locate  them. 
During  Sunday  night  after  the  battle,  "  Stonewall  Jackson  " 
reached  our  line,  but  too  late  to  cut  off  the  enemy's  retreat. 
Our  inability  to  hold  him  in  position  on  the  Chickahominy 
enabled  him  to  escape  before  General  Jackson  could  arrive. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  47 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  BATTLES  OF  WHITE  OAK  SWAMP  AND  MALVERN  HILL — 
PRESIDENT  DAVIS,  GENERAL  LEE  AND  OTHERS  MEET. 

Monday  afternoon  General  D.  H.  Hill  found  the  enemy  in 
what  is  known  as  White-Oak  Swamp,  trying  to  reach  his  gun- 
boats on  the  James  river.  General  Hill  attacked  him  with 
great  vigor,  driving  him  two  miles,  but  lost  a  number  of  his 
men.  It  was  a  hard  fought  battle,  and  thousands  of  Federal 
dead  lay  on  the  field.  Proper  credit  has  never  been  given 
General  Hill  for  this  engagement.  He  fought  an  army  three 
or  four  times  his  strength,  and  drove  them  so  long  as  daylight 
lasted.  Barksdale's  brigade  reached  the  battle  .field  about 
eleven  o'clock  at  night,  and  stood  picket  until  morning. 
It  was  a  terrible  march,  the  night  as  dark  as  Erebus. 
As  we  worked  our  way  through  the  woods  we  stumbled  on 
the  dead  and  wounded  at  every  step,  and  the  wounded  would 
often  cry  out  in  their  intense  suffering.  All  night  we  could 
hear  them  begging  for  water,  and  occasionally  one  would 
beg  to  be  killed  and  relieved  of  his  suffering.  Up  to  this 
time  our  Little  Confederate  had  never  seen  such  horrible 
sights,  and  had  never  been  very  badly  frightened,  but  he  now 
realized  very  forcibly  that  war  was  terrible,  and  his  chances 
of  ever  seeing  home  again  were  largely  against  him.  When 
morning  came  the  enemy  had  retreated.  Again  our  com- 
mand moved  slowly  back  into  the  road,  leading  from  Rich- 
mond to  "Turkey  Bend"  on  the  James  river.  We  had 


48  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

nothing  to  eat  since  Saturday  except  green  apples,  the  troops 
were  tired  and  sleepy.  Barksdale's  brigade  halted  in  the 
main  road,  and  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi  regiment  stood  at 
a  point  where  it  forks  with  another.  There  was  a  large  oak 
tree  in  the  fork,  on  which  three  sign  boards  were  nailed. 
One  pointing  to  Richmond,  one  to  Turkey  Bend,  and  the 
other  to  some  place  now  forgotten.  We  were  silently  wait- 
ing and  not  a  sound  was  heard.  The  men  had  no  informa- 
tion about  the  enemy.  President  Davis,  General  Lee, 
General  Jackson  and  a  few  others  galloped  up  to  the  point 
where  we  were,  and  in  a  moment  General  Huger  came  up. 
Mr.  Davis  was  dressed  in  citizen's  clothes.  I  remember  he 
wore  a  Panama  hat,  and  I  thought  him  the  grandest  looking 
man  I  had  ever  seen.  General  Lee  inquired  of  General 
Huger:  " Do  you  occupy  Malvern  Hill?"  General  Huger 
answered :  "  No,  the  enemy  has  obstructed  the  road  by  throw- 
ing large  trees  across  it ;  I  could  not  reach  Malvern  Hill  with 
my  artillery."  General  Lee  remarked:  "You  should  have 
done  so  with  your  infantry;  move  at  once." 

But  it  was  too  late,  McClellan's  army  was  strongly  posted 
on  Malvern  Hill  at  the  time  the  conversation  occurred. 
Malvern  Hill  was  the  key  to  the  situation,  and  both  com- 
manders knew  it.  Had  General  Lee's  orders  been -carried 
out,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  would  have  been  prisoners  the 
following  day. 

Soon  after  the  conversation  between  Generals  Lee  and 
Huger,  every  thing  was  headed  toward  Malvern  Hill.  The 
enemy's  gun-boats  were  shelling  the  woods  at  every  point  in 
our  front.  Barksdale's  brigade  reached  a  position  in  front  of 
the  enemy's  lines,  screened  from  view  somewhat  by  small 


IN   THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  49 

pine  trees.  We  lay  down  and  waited  for  the  command  to 
move  forward.  Large  shells  from  the  gun-boats  and  from 
land  batteries,  also,  were  tearing  and  literally  smashing  every 
thing  in  reach.  The  Camden  Rifles,  a  company  of  the 
Eighteenth  Mississippi,  lay  under  a  large  oak  tree.  A  ten 
inch  shell  struck  it  about  ten  feet  above  the  ground,  cutting 
off  the  entire  top.  This  fell  on  the  Camden  Rifles,  killing 
several  men  and  creating  a  worse  panic  than  if  ten  times  the 
number  had  been  killed  by  bullets.  Very  soon  the  battle 
opened.  The  enemy  was  massed  on  all  sides  of  Malvern 
Hill,  his  artillery  planted,  so  as  to  command  the  country  for 
miles.  One  line  stood  above  the  other  on  the  steep  hill. 
It  was  a  terrible  occasion.  Brigade  after  brigade  was  sent 
against  his  lines,  and  were  slaughtered.  It  was  one  of  the 
hotest  battles  ever  fought  up  to  that  time.  It  was  impossible 
to  reach  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  yet  the  charge  was  renewed 
time  and  again.  Barksdale's  brigade  lost  a  great  many  good 
men.  Captain  E.  G.  Henry,  of  Company  "  C,"  Eighteenth 
Mississippi,  was  wounded  in  the  leg,  about  one  hundred 
yards  from  the  enemy's  lines,  and  bled  to  death  before 
assistance  reached  him.  He  was  a  patriot  in  the  highest 
sense,  a  man  who  regarded  duty  above  all  other  considera- 
tions. A  great  many  others  were  killed,  but  I  remember  the 
universal  sorrow  at  the  death  of  Green  B.  Crane,  a  young 
man  of  faultless  character.  He  graduated  at  the  University 
of  Mississippi  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  gave 
promise  of  a  brilliant  future.  He  was  brave  as  Caesar, 
determined  as  Jackson,  and  gentle  as  Ruth.  He  was  liberal, 
chivalrous  and  companionable.  What  more  could  be  said  of 
him  ?  The  Little  Confederate  and  Green  Crane  were  school- 


50  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

mates,  and  he  remembers  him  with  deep  and  tender  affection. 
The  horrors  of  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill  can  never  be 
known,  and  hardly  even  imagined  by  those  who  were  not 
there.  While  the  enemy  retreated  during  the  night,  our 
army  was  badly  crippled,  but  remained  on  the  field.  We 
had  retained  our  position,  but  at  tremendous  sacrifice. 
What  the  result  would  have  been  had  General  Lee's  orders 
been  carried  out  must  forever  remain  unknown. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  51 


CHAPTER  VII. 

McLAWs'  DIVISION  LEFT  AT  RICHMOND — GENERAL  LEE 
MOVES  TOWARD  WASHINGTON — A  SICKENING  SIGHT  ON 
THE  BATTLE  FIELD  OF  WHITE  OAK  SWAMP — McLAWs 
JOINS  GENERAL  LEE  AT  MANASSAS — THE  SECOND  BAT- 
TLE OF  MANASSAS — THE  ARMY  CROSSES  THE  POTOMAC — 
THE  SURRENDER  OF  HARPER'S  FERRY. 

After  the  enemy  had  retreated,  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  went  into  camp  along  the  James  river,  and  Barks- 
dale's  brigade  was  located  at  Camp  Holly,  General  Washing- 
ton's old  camp.  A  fine  field  of  corn  in  roasting-ear  furnished 
rations  for  the  army  for  several  days.  Eight  or  ten  ears  at  a 
meal  was  an  average  dinner  for  a  man.  McClelland  was' 
superseded  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  by 
General  Pope.  This  occurred  a  few  weeks  after  the  battle  of 
Richmond.  General  Lee,  with  most  of  his  army,  moved  in 
the  direction  of  Manassas,  and  was  met  by  General  Pope, 
and  here  was  fought  the  second  battle  of  Manassas,  the 
enemy  occupying  the  position  the  Confederate  army  occupied 
at  the  first  battle.  McLaws'  division  of  Longstreet's  corps 
was  left  behind  to  defend  Richmond,  and  the  enemy,  also, 
left  a  force  to  keep  McLaws  busy.  About  two  weeks  after 
the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill  the  enemy  made  a  demonstration 
which  was  promptly  met  by  General  McLaws.  In  passing 
through  a  part  of  White  Oak  battle  field,  we  came  to  a  plank 
fence  about  a  mile  long.  This  fence  passed  through  timber, 
and  here  we  saw  a  most  harrowing  sight.  Five  or  six 
hundred  dead  Yankees  were  hanging  across  the  fence,  killed 


52  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

as  they  were  getting  over.  The  buzzards  had  torn  their 
clothing  nearly  off  and  stripped  the  flesh  from  their  bones. 
They  were  scarcely  any  thing  but  bones  and  rags  when  we  saw 
them.  The  skulls  with  hair  on  them  looked  horrible.  These 
poor  men  were  killed  in  the  Monday  night — General  D.  H. 
Hill's — fight.  The  Little  Confederate  was  beginning  to  grow 
case  hardened.  Dead  men  were  so  common,  little  notice 
was  taken  of  them.  Soon  after  this  circumstance  McLaws' 
division,  of  which  Barksdale's  brigade  formed  a  part,  hur- 
ried to  Richmond,  thence  to  Hanover  Junction.  We  found 
tents  already  stretched,  and  occupied  them  about  two  hours, 
when  a  terrible  storm  came  up  which  blew  down  every  thing. 
We  reached  Hanover  Junction  by  rail,  but  "hoofed  it"  the 
balance  of  the  way  to  Warrenton,  near  Manassas,  where  we 
found  thousands  and  thousands  of  dead  Federals.  One 
might  have  walked  five  miles  on  dead  men.  It  was  two  days 
after  the  second  battle  of  Manassas.  The  weather  was  fear- 
fully hot,  and  decomposition  had  set  in.  The  bodies  were  all 
swollen,  and  presented  the  appearance  of  men  weighing  three 
hundred  pounds.  The  enemy's  ambulance  corps  was  busy 
burying  the  dead  under  flag  of  truce.  The  Little  Con- 
federate saw  a  man  looking  into  the  mouths  of  the  dead 
Yankees.  They  were  wide  open.  When  the  man  found 
a  tooth  plugged  with  gold,  he  knocked  it  out  with  his  bayonet. 
We  saw  him  afterward  with  a  pocket  full  of  teeth. 

There  was  a  regiment  of  "  Bucktail  Zouaves,"  I  think,  One 
Hundred  and  Eighth  New  York,  about  eight  hundred  strong. 
Nearly  all  of  them  were  killed.  General  Gregg's  Texas 
brigade  lay  in  the  sedge  grass  several  hundred  yards  in 
advance  of  a  battery  of  the  Richmond  Howitzers,  which  was 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  53 

playing  havoc  on  the  enemy's  lines.  The  Bucktails,  we  sup- 
posed, were  ordered  to  take  the  battery.  They  were  dressed 
in  red  pants  and  blue  jackets.  Every  man  had  a  buck's  tail 
in  his  hat.  They  moved  at  double  quick  on  the  battery, 
unconscious  of  Gregg's  men  in  the  sedge.  When  within 
fifty  yards,  the  Texans  took  deliberate  aim  and  killed  almost 
every  man.  Over  seven  hundred  Bucktails  lay  in  line.  It 
was  awful !  They  were  good  soldiers,  and  it  was  a  pity,  but 
it  was  war.  The  Little  Confederate  found  a  buck's  tail  and 
wore  it  in  his  hat,  until  some  old  ragged  rebel  appropriated 
it  without  so  much  as  saying  "  Boo."  We  proceeded  from 
here  to  Leesburg,  Va.,  where  Barksdale's  brigade  had  spent 
the  winter  of  1861  and  1862.  The  people  were  delighted  to 
see  us,  and  filled  our  haversacks  with  "grub."  It  was 
difficult  to  get  Barksdale's  brigade  to  move.  Beautiful 
women,  married  and  single,  hung  around  them,  recalling  the 
happy  associations  of  the  preceding  winter. 

Just  before  the  Seven  Days  battle  Uncle  Freeman  was 
taken  sick,  and  the  Little  Confederate  wrote  his  father 
to  send  "Matt"  to  take  his  place,  it  being  the  intention  to 
send  Uncle  Freeman  home.  Matt  was  sent  at  once,  and 
reached  the  command  at  Leesburg,  but  by  that  time  Uncle 
Freeman  had  gotten  well,  and  was  not  willing  to  leave 
"Master's  boy,"  so  both  continued  with  us  as  long  as  the 
Little  Confederate  remained  with  the  Arrny  of  Northern 
Virginia.  Matt  was  a  great  favorite  with  his  master's 
family,  and  when  he  left  home  promised  to  look  well  after 
his  young  master.  He  reached  camp  with  two  good  suits  of 
clothes  and  shoes  for  the  Little  Confederate.  He  had,  also, 
a  number  of  letters  for  different  members  of  Company  "  C." 


54  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

We  listened  to  Matt  talk  nearly  all  night.  The  last  thing  before 
going  to  sleep  he  said  to  his  young  master :  "  When  you  get 
tired,  you  get  on  Matt's  back.  He  carried  you  before  this, 
and  he  can  carry  you  now."  But  the  Little  Confederate 
said:  "Matt,  you  keep  up,  I  will  be  there  when  we 
stop." 

The  army  crossed  the  Potomac  river  at  the  "Point  of 
Rocks,"  not  far  above  Leesburg,  and  marched  to  Frederick 
City,  Maryland.  We  remained  here  a  few  days,  when  Mc- 
Laws'  division  moved  toward  Hagerstown,  thence  to  Harper's 
Ferry,  where  the  enemy  had  a  force  of  twenty-eight  thousand 
men.  Barksdale's  brigade  was  put  in  front,  and  reached 
Maryland  Heights,  opposite  Harper's  Ferry.  The  enemy 
had  no  idea  of  allowing  us  to  climb  the  heights,  and  opened 
on  our  column  with  his  big  guns.  We  were  four  days  storm- 
ing the  heights.  Whatever  ground  we  gained  during  the  day 
we  pulled  our  guns  over  at  night.  The  mountain  was  very 
steep.  We  carried  up  the  wheels  and  axles  one  at  a  time, 
and  a  hundred  or  more  men  would  pull  the  guns  up  with 
ropes.  By  day  we  would  have  our  guns  in  position,  and 
open  on  the  enemy  as  soon  as  it  was  light.  We  would  often 
reach  a  large  bowlder  which  it  was  necessary  to  pass.  The 
enemy's  big  shells  would  strike  them  and  scatter  small  pieces 
of  rock  in  all  directions.  We  advanced  under  heavy  fire, 
but  very  slowly.  Nothing  to  eat,  and  no  water,  though  the 
Potomac  was  within  two  miles.  We  finally  reached  the  sum- 
mit, having  driven  the  enemy  into  Harper's  Ferry.  We  were 
nearly  starved.  We  scrambled  over  the  bread  crusts,  onion 
peels,  and  meat  skins  that  the  enemy  had  thrown  away. 
Stonewall  Jackson  had  Harper's  Ferry  surrounded  on  both 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  55 

sides  of  the  river.  About  midnight,  after  capturing  Mary- 
land Heights,  Barksdale's  brigade  was  hurried  down  the  val- 
ley to  meet  a  column  of  the  enemy  coming  to  the  relief  of 
Harper's  Ferry.  We  double-quicked  about  five  miles,  and 
by  dawn  formed  a  line  along  a  ridge.  We  could  plainly  see 
the  enemy's  camp,  and  his  guns  stacked.  We  expected  an  en- 
gagement every  minute,  but  General  Barksdale  galloped  along 
the  line,  and  said  :  "  Boys,  Harper's  Ferry  has  surrendered." 
A  yell  went  up,  and  the  enemy  fell  back  in  the  valley.  Our 
march  to  Harper's  Ferry  began,  and  as  we  started,  the  enemy 
opened  on  us  with  his  artillery.  Our  wagons  and  servants 
were  two  or  three  miles  ahead  of  us,  and  were  ordered  to 
move  before  we  reached  them.  A  negro  had  been  left  on 
the  side  of  the  road  asleep,  and  was  there  as  we  passed;  but 
of  course  we  had  no  knowledge  of  it.  The  shells  were  fall- 
ing on  all  sides.  One  struck  the  ground  very  near  the  sleep- 
ing negro.  He  had  two  or  three  canteens,  a  frying-pan,  and 
a  camp-kettle  strapped  around  his  neck.  He  rushed  by, 
making  as  much  noise  as  a  train  of  cars.  Nobody  could  at- 
tract his  attention.  He  was  flying.  Finally  a  man  grabbed 
him,  and  asked:  "What  is  the  matter?"  "  Lord,  I  seed  the 
cannon  bust,  and  I  hearn  the  bum-er  coming.  Marster, 
lemme  go." 

We  reached  Harper's  Ferry  in  a  short  time,  and  found  that 
General  Jackson  was  already  paroling  the  prisoners.  We 
remained  on  the  Maryland  side  until  next  morning,  Tuesday, 
September  16,  1862,  when  we  crossed  and  occupied  the 
street.  Here  we  were  given  five  hard-tacks  each.  We 
moved  at  four  p.  M.,  supposedly  for  the  charming  valley  of 
the  Shenandoah,  to  rest  and  enjoy  our  victories. 


56  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  ARMY  RECROSSES  THE  POTOMAC  —  THE  BATTLE  OF 
SHARPSBURG — GENERAL  SIMS  WOUNDED — D.  H.  HILL 
AND  HIS  NERVE. 

Tuesday,  September  16,  1862,  McLaws'  division,  composed 
of  Kershaw's  South  Carolina,  Cobb's  Georgia,  Sims'  Georgia, 
and  Barksdale's  Mississippi  brigades,  stood  in  the  streets  of 
Harper's  Ferry  all  day.  About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
we  received  orders  to  move.  The  column  headed  south. 
We  supposed  that,  having  captured  so  many  prisoners  at 
Harper's  Ferry,  we  were  going  into  the  beautiful  valley  of 
Virginia  for  rest  and  rations.  The  men  moved  along  at  a 
lively  gait.  As  night  came  on,  we  sang  all  kinds  of  planta- 
tion songs,  "Rock  the  Cradle,  Julie,"  "  Sallie,  Get  Your 
Hoe  Cake  Done,"  "I'm  Gwying  down  the  Newburg  Road," 
and  so  on.  The  men  were  scattered  for  two  miles  along  the 
road.  The  woods  rang  with  their  melodies.  We  had  passed 
through  a  severe  campaign,  comprising  many  hard-fought 
battles,  and  marched  several  hundred  miles  with  very  scant 
rations.  The  scenes  we  had  passed  through  in  the  last  two 
months  were  dreadful.  Not  a  man  in  the  division  but  had 
lost  a  dear  friend,  or  maybe  a  relative,  and  their  bodies  had 
been  buried  in  a  long  trench  without  a  shroud.  Ordinarily, . 
this  would  be  a  solemn  and  mournful  retrospection,  but  these 
were  not  ordinary  times,  nor  ordinary  men.  The  times  were 
eventful  and  the  men  were  heroes,  who  realized  that  there 
was  no  sentiment  in  war,  and  that  they  must  meet  the  trials 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM T.  57 

and  bear  the  sufferings  incident  to  hostilities  between  two 
great  armies.  When  we  go  back  to  those  scenes,  we  are 
amazed  at  the  fortitude  and  endurance  of  those  men.  On 
they  marched,  singing  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  dreaming 
of  the  good  "ash  cakes"  and  "apple  butter"  we  had  heard 
so  much  about  down  at  Winchester,  Strasburg,  and  other 
places  in  the  valley,  when  suddenly  we  came  to  where  the 
road  forked.  The  column  turned  into  the  right-hand  road. 
As  each  company  filed  into  the  changed  direction,  their  me- 
lodious voices  were  hushed.  They  knew  that  the  war  was 
not  over.  They  realized  that  we  would  recross  the  Potomac, 
and  that  this  meant  fight.  Within  half  an  hour,  not  a  sound 
could  be  heard  except  the  din  of  the  moving  artillery.  All 
the  humor  and  bright  anticipations  of  an  hour  ago  were  gone. 
The  men  were  silent,  but  determined.  Very  soon  the  head 
of  the  column  quickened  the  pace,  and  we  were  forced  to 
trot  nearly  all  the  remainder  of  the  night  to  keep  up.  The 
step  was  growing  rapid.  Hundreds  of  good  men  could  not 
keep  it. 

About  daylight  we  reached  Shepardstown  on  the  Potomac 
river,  and  crossed  over  to  the  Maryland  side,  but  we  crossed 
with  a  small  proportion  of  the  command  which  began  the 
march.  We  remember  that  Company  "  C,"  Eighteenth  Mis- 
sissippi, left  -Harper's  Ferry  with  over  sixty  men  and  three 
officers,  but  we  went  into  the  battle  of  "Sharpsburg"  with 
sixteen  men  and  one  officer.  Other  companies,  of  course, 
suffered  similar  dimunition.  The  march  was  one  of  the 
severest  ever  made  by  infantry  troops.  About  thirty  miles 
in  fourteen  hours.  The  river  at  Shepardstown  is  over  a  half 
mile  wide,  and  very  shoaly.  A  gallant  little  Irishman,  be- 


58  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

longing  to  Company  "  C,"  Eighteenth  Mississippi  Regiment, 
Tommy  Brennan,  never  played  out.  He  was  one  of  the 
sixteen  who  crossed  the  river.  He  was  of  very  small  stature, 
but  brave  as  a  lion.  In  crossing  he  held  his  gun,  cartridge 
box  and  shoes  on  his  head  to  prevent  them  from  getting  wet. 
When  within  about  twenty  yards  of  the  shore,  he  hallooed 
out:  "Boys,  I  am  over  dry  shod."  But  as  he  looked  back 
to  make  the  announcement  he  stepped  into  a  deep  hole,  and 
went  under  head  and  ears,  gun  and  all.  When  he  arose  he 
said,  as  if  to  finish  the  remark  :  "After  I  get  on  some  dry 
clothes." 

We  soon  arrived  at  Sharpsburg.  The  battle  was  raging. 
We  halted  in  the  roadway  of  the  little  town.  We  were 
given  thirty  minutes  to  rest.  Two  men  were  detailed  from 
each  company  to  fill  the  canteens.  The  little  Confederate 
and  W.  L.  McKee  were  detailed  from  Company  "  C,"  and 
by  the  time  we  returned  the  order  to  march  was  given.  We 
double-quicked  about  a  mile,  and  reached  a  grove  of  large 
trees.  Our  line  was  formed,  General  Barksdale  rode  in  front 
and  addressed  the  men  thus:  "The  situation  is  desperate. 
The  enemy  is  pressing  the  center.  We  must  drive  them 
back,  Stonewall  Jackson  says  so..  I  want  every  man  to  do 
his  duty  as  a  Mississippian.  If  any  of  you  can  not,  step  out, 
and  I  will  excuse  you."  Not  a  man  moved.  It  was  a  trying 
ordeal.  The  shells  were  flying  thick,  and  we  knew  in  a 
moment  numbers  of  us  would  be  killed,  but  the  endurance 
that  stood  the  men  so  well  on  the  march  from  Harper's 
Ferry  would  hold  them  now.  General  Barksdale  then  said  : 
"  Pile  every  thing  except  guns  and  cartridge  boxes  at  this 
tree.  There  were  about  seven  or  eight  blankets  in  the 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  59 

brigade.  They  constituted  the  pile.  While  we  stood  here, 
General  D.  H.  Hill  galloped  up  on  a  yellow  horse,  about  one 
hundred  yards  in  our  front,  and  halted.  He  dropped  the 
reins  and  took  out  his  field  glasses  and  watched  the  enemy. 
Major  Ratchford,  his  adjutant  general,  joined  him.  In  a 
moment  a  shell  passed  through  the  general's  horse.  The 
horse  was  killed  instantly,  he  never  kicked.  General  Hill 
did  not  move  the  glass  from  his  eyes,  but  shaking  the  stirrups 
from  his  feet  stepped  a  few  paces  off  and  continued  watching 
the  enemy  without  the  slightest  emotion.  Major  Ratchford 
dismounted  and  removed  the  saddle  and  bridle  from  the  dead 
horse.  Finally,  General  Hill  mounted  Major  Ratchford's 
horse  and  rode  off.  This  was  characteristic  of  D.  H.  Hill. 
Nothing  could  excite  him.  He  was  the  coolest  man  in  our 
army.  We  have  seen  General  S.  D.  Lee  in  hot  places,  and 
have  since  the  war  spoken  to  him  of  his  nerve,  but  he 
answered  :  "  D.  H.  Hill  was  the  coolest  man  I  ever  knew, 
I  took  lessons  from  him." 

"Left- face,"  "forward  march,"  rang  out,  and  we  moved 
by  columns  toward  the  center  of  our  lines.  "Left  front, 
into  line "  was  repeated  by  the  company  officers  all  along. 
We  moved  at  double-quick  across  plowed  ground,  and 
formed  line  behind  a  high  rail  fence,  just  at  the  edge  of  a 
beautiful  wood.  As  our  line  advanced  to  position  we  passed 
General  Robert  E.  Lee.  He  sat  on  his  horse  near  a  battery 
of  the  Richmond  Howitzers,  which  was  actively  engaged. 
We  cheered  him  as  we  passed.  The  shell  and  shot  were 
pounding  the  earth  and  cutting  down  the  timber.  Men  were 
falling  at  every  step.  It  was  dreadful.  A  spotted  cow  ran 
through  the  line,  going  to  our  rear,  she  ran  like  a  race  horse. 


60  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Her  tail  was  high  in  the  air.  A  shell  struck  the  ground  a 
few  feet  in  her  front  and  exploded.  The  dirt  went  in  all 
directions  and  left  a  big  hole,  into  which  she  plunged,  but 
scrambled  out,  continuing  her  race  in  the  same  direction. 
Kit  Gilmer,  of  Company  "  C,"  hallooed  out:  "Boys,  she's 
a  Confedeaate  cow,  she  's  going  South."  We  remained  be- 
hind a  fence  about  five  minutes.  Ransom's  North  Carolina 
brigade  was  in  our  front.  The  shells  were  shrieking,  the 
grape  shots  were  whizzing,  and  the  minnies  were  sizzing.  The 
fence  was  nearly  shot  down.  The  North  Carolinians  were 
being  driven  back.  They  fought  desperately,  but  were  over- 
powered. We  waited  in  awful  suspense.  In  a  moment  we 
would  rise  to  meet  the  vanquishers  of  Ransom's  men. 

"  Press  forward,  Mississippians,"  came  from  proud  Gen- 
eral Kershaw.  Ransom's  men  pressed  through  our  ranks. 
We  rushed  at  the  enemy  with  a  yell,  and  drove  them  back, 
almost  reaching  the  top  of  the  hill.  We  were  now  in  large 
timber.  The  enemy  fell  back  to  their  temporary  works  of 
logs  and  brush.  Our  line  halted.  General  Barksdale  rushed 
to  the  front  and  said,  "Forward!  take  the  works!"  Two 
minutes  afterward,  we  stood  on  the  top  of  them  and  shot  the 
enemy  as  he  ran  down  the  hill.  We  had  checked  the 
enemy's  attack  on  our  army's  center,  and  had  driven  him 
back.  Our  line  advanced  about  two  miles.  The  day  was 
won.  McLaws'  division  met  General  Lee's  expectations,  but 
some  of  the  noblest  men  who  ever  lived  gave  their  lives  to 
the  cause  in  that  battle.  Sharpsburg  was  one  of  the  bloodiest 
as  well  as  one  of  the  most  stubbornly  contested  battles  of  the 
war.  An  idea  of  the  loss  can  be  gained  by  a  comparison  of 
Company  "C"  Eighteenth  Mississippi  regiment.  Of  the 


SUDDENLY  A  SHELL  EXPLODED  IN  THEIR  MIDST. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  61 

sixteen  men  and'  a  lieutenant  who  took  part  in  the  battle, 
six  were  killed  and  five  were  wounded,  leaving  five  men  and 
a  lieutenant.  Sam.  W.  Finley,  Pleasant  Smith,  Jas.  E. 
Burns,  W.  L.  McKee,  and  the  Little  Confederate,  together 
with  Lieutenant  Wm.  McKie,  were  the  survivors.  The  bat- 
tle was  fought  on  Wednesday,  September  17,  1862.  The 
weather  was  pleasant.  We  used  the  muzzle-loading  gun,  and 
had  to  bite  off  the  end  of  the  cartridge.  Our  hands  and 
faces  were  as  black  as  the  powder.  About  4  P.  M.  we  were 
lying  in  an  apple  orchard.  The  enemy,  in  our  front,  were 
lying  behind  a  stone  fence  about  six  hundred  yards  distant. 
The  artillery  on  both  sides  was  keeping  up  a  desultory  firing. 
The  enemy's  shell  would  occasionally  knock  off  a  limb  from 
an  apple  tree.  We  ate  apples  as  long  as  we  could  swallow 
them.  Billy  McKee  and  the  Little  Confederate  worked  their 
way  to  a  branch,  which  ran  between  the  lines,  and  filled  their 
canteens.  Generals  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  Cobb,  Kershaw,  Sims, 
and  Barksdale  stood  about  fifty  yards  in  front  of  our  regiment 
watching  the  enemy  behind  the  rock  fence.  The  Little  Con- 
federate was  watching  the  group.  Suddenly  a  shell  exploded 
in  their  midst.  General  Sims  fell  backward  heavily  to  the 
ground.  The  Little  Confederate  rushed  to  him,  placing  his 
canteen  of  water  to  the  general's  mouth.  General  Sims 
clutched  the  canteen  and  chattered  it  against  his  teeth.  In 
a  moment  Sam  Finley  caught  him  by  one  arm,  and  the  Little 
Confederate  took  the  other,  and  then  pulled  him  down  the 
hill,  and  out  of  range  of  the  shells.  The  other  generals  fol- 
lowed, but  found  that  it  was  only  a  bad  powder  burn,  and 
resumed  their  positions.  Soon  a  litter  arrived,  and  General 
Sims  was  carried  to  the  rear. 


62  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC, 

We  lay  in  our  position  all  night,  during  which  time  num- 
bers of  those  who  broke  down  on  the  march  from  Harper's 
Ferry  caught  up  and  fell  into  line.  About  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  the  Little  Confederate  was  awakened  by  Matt, 
who  had  a  canteen  of  buttermilk  and  a  good  sized  ash  cake. 
Lieutenant  McKie,  Sam  Finley,  Billy  McKee,  Jim  Burns, 
and  Pleas.  Smith,  together  with  the  Little  Confederate,  cer- 
tainly enjoyed  that  banquet.  We  could  never  learn  how  Matt 
found  us  in  that  long  line  of  battle.  Thursday  we  remained 
on  the  field  within  sight  of  the  enemy's  lines.  Friday,  Sep- 
tember i gth,  we  moved  off  towards  Shepardstown.  As  we 
marched  along,  the  Little  Confederate  noticed  General  Sims 
near  the  way  sitting  on  his  horse.  He  spoke  of  the  circum- 
stance of  the  shell  to  some  of  his  friends  who  caught  up  after 
the  battle.  General  Sims  noticed  him,  and  asked,  "Are 
you  the  boy  who  gave  me  the  water  and  helped  to  carry  me 
off  the  field  Wednesday?"  The  little  fellow  stopped  to  an- 
swer the  general's  question.  The  latter  said,  "Would  you 
like  to  go  with  me  as  courier?"  "No,  sir,"  said  the  boy, 
"  I  would  rather  stay  with  my  company."  The  general  then 
asked  his  name,  also  his  company  and  regiment,  and  where 
he  lived,  but  he  could  not  persuade  him  to  leave  his  com- 
pany. We  passed  a  large  stone  barn,  where  the  wounded 
of  Barksdale's  brigade  had  been  taken.  Among  the  wounded 
was  "Kit  Gilmer."  A  bullet  passed  through  his  leg  crush- 
ing the  bones.  Kit  was  a  remarkable  boy,  and  his  father  was 
a  remarkable  man  ;  fear  never  found  a  lodgment  in  their 
hearts.  It  was  understood  that  our  army  was  to  recross  the 
Potomac,  and  that  the  wounded  would  be  left  behind.  Kit 
had  a  negro  named  "Ike."  After  dark,  Ike  pressed  the 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM!'.  63 

good  old  farmer's  horse,  put  his  young  master  on  him,  got 
behind,  and  never  dismounted  until  they  reached  Winchester. 
The  suffering  was  intense,  but  Kit  never  murmured.  The 
strange  sequel  of  this  story  is  that  Ike  went  back  with  the 
horse,  and  remained  with  the  Federal  army.  We  captured 
him  back  at  Fredericksburg,  and  he  is  living  in  Madison 
county,  Mississippi,  now. 


64  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE  ARMY  GOES  INTO  CAMP  AT  WINCHESTER — SMALL-POX 
BREAKS  OUT — THE  MARCH  TO  FREDERICKSBURG — THE 
MEN'S  CLOTHES  FREEZE  ON  THEM — THE  BATTLE  OF 
FREDERICKSBURG — THE  ENEMY  CAPTURE  BARKSDALE'S 
WORKS,  BUT  ARE  DRIVEN  BACK — THE  WASHINGTON  AR- 
TILLERY CHEER  BARKSDALE'S  MISSISSIPPI  BRIGADE — 
BILLY  BLAKE  AND  A  LITTLE  DOG  FRIGHTEN  THE  PEO- 
PLE IN  CHURCH. 

The  army  crossed  the  river  and  went  into  camp  at  Winches- 
ter. Soon  afterward  a  bad  spell  of  weather  came  on,  and  the 
last  of  September  quite  a  snow  fell.  We  had  no  blankets, 
and  very  few  clothes.  To  add  to  the  hardships  and  horrors 
of  the  situation,  small-pox  broke  out,  and  fully  one-third  of 
the  army  had  it.  The  Little  Confederate  and  Matt  were 
taken  at  the  same  time,  while  Uncle  Freeman  escaped.  The 
soldiers  never  thought  much  about  the  danger  of  small-pox, 
but  the  negroes  who  had  it  suffered  greatly.  Matt  never  re- 
covered from  the  effects,  though  he  lived  twenty  years  after- 
ward. He  was  always  complaining  and  suffered  to  the  last 
with  rheumatism.  We  spent  a  week  or  so  delightfully  at 
Winchester,  but  our  dream  of  happiness  was  short,  and  we 
moved  to  Strasburg,  thence  via  Rapidan  Station  to  Fredericks- 
burg.  It  began  to  rain  and  sleet  just  before  we  reached 
Rapidan,  where  we  forded  the  river  and  marched  nearly  all 
night  in  the  cold  and  sleet.  By  next  morning  the  weather 
had  become  bitter  cold,  and  whenever  we  halted  ten  min- 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  65 

utes  our  clothing  would  freeze  on  our  bodies.  We  were  hur- 
ried every  step  of  the  way  to  Fredericksburg.  The  command 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  during  the  three  months  had 
been  transferred  to  General  Pope,  then  to  Meade,  then 
back  to  McClellan,  and  now  we  learned  that  General  Burn- 
side  was  in  command.  We  were  marching  night  and  day  to 
reach  Fredericksburg  to  prevent  his  crossing  the  Rappahan- 
nock.  McLaws'  division  was  the  first  to  reach  there,  about 
ten  o'clock  at  night ;  it  was  still  sleeting,  and  very  cold.  We 
were  not  allowed  to  have  fires,  lest  the  enemy  might  be  en- 
abled to  estimate  our  forces,  as  we  were  told.  We  were 
freezing.  We  lay  down  on  each  other,  four  men  at  the  bot- 
tom, four  men  across  them,  then  four  men  on  top  these.  It 
was  generally  in  piles  of  twelve.  After  the  bottom  quartette 
thawed  out,  they  would  go  on  top,  and  so  on.  We  spent 
two  miserable  days  and  nights  before  the  army  arrived,  then 
we  had  fires.  Rations  were  issued  almost  daily  at  that  time, 
but  one  man  could  eat  at  one  meal  all  the  rations  drawn 
by  a  mess  of  six  or  seven  men  for  a  day.  We  began  to 
fortify,  and  at  night  the  scene  was  grand.  The  camp-fires  of 
both  armies  made  a  beautiful  picture,  the  opposing  forces 
being  within  plain  view  of  each  other.  On  one  occasion 
when  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi  Regiment  was  on  picket 
duty,  the  Little  Confederate  and  Jeff  Crane  were  on  post  to- 
gether, and  stood  behind  trees  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  We 
shot  at  every  thing  that  moved,  as  did  the  enemy.  If  a  hat 
was  raised,  a  bullet  whizzed  at  it.  While  we  watched,  a  negro 
appeared  just  in  front  of  the  Little  Confederate ;  he  seemed 
to  have  sprung  out  of  the  ground.  He  carried  a  sack  on  his 
back,  and  both  Crane  and  the  Little  Confederate  ordered 


66  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

him  to  lie  down.  He  said  be  belonged  to  the  Colonel  of 
the  Eighth  Georgia,  and  had  been  out  foraging,  and  why  the 
enemy's  pickets  did  not  kill  him  I  am  unable  to  conjecture. 
The  Little  Confederate  made  him  open  his  bag,  in  which 
he  had  a  bushel  of  sweet  potatoes.  He  was  only  required  to 
empty  out  half  of  them.  Jeff.  Crane  and  his  little  friend 
went  back  to  camp  that  night  with  most  of  the  half  bushel 
of  raw  potatoes  in  their  "  craws." 

Several  weeks  passed  at  Fredericksburg  in  getting  ready 
to  entertain  General  Burnside  when  he  should  cross  the 
"beautiful  Rappahannock."  During  that  time  the  soldiers 
of  both  armies  became  very  friendly.  The  Confederates 
would  send  tobacco  in  little  bark  boats  over  to  the  "Yanks," 
and  the  latter  would  send  us  back  coffee  and  other  articles. 
It  finally  got  so  that  the  pickets  would  not  shoot  at  each 
other.  The  men  became  very  expert  in  setting  the  sails  on 
the  bark,  which  they  could  land  at  almost  the  very  place  they 
selected  for  the  exchange  of  commodities.  It  was  a  strange 
sight  to  watch  the  men  of  opposing  armies  playing  and  traf- 
ficking as  if  there  was  no  war,  but  they  were  ready  to  face 
each  at  any  minute,  and  fight  like  lions  and  tigers  if  the  orders 
were  given.  Weeks  were  quietly  spent  on  the  beautiful 
river ;  Barksdale's  Mississippi  brigade  was  moved  into  the 
streets  of  Fredericksburg,  where  they  remained  until  the  great 
battle.  Our  artillery  was  planted  on  Marye's  Heights  over- 
looking the  whole  country.  When  General  Burnside  built  his 
bridge  under  cover  of  darkness,  and  moved  his  army  over  to 
the  south  side,  he  began  setting  the  pegs  for  a  great  and 
bloody  battle,  and  he  got  it. 

The   battle   of    Fredericksburg  will    go    down    in  history, 


IN    THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  67 

crowned  with  some  remarkable  features,  but  of  these  there 
was  nothing  more  striking  than  the  part  Barksdale's  brigade 
bore  in  the  conflict.  The  position  this  brigade  held  could 
not  be  surrendered;  it  was  necessary  to  mairftain  it  at  all 
hazards ;  the  safety  of  our  army  depending,  in  a  measure,  on 
their  doing  so.  It  was  the  key  to  the  situation,  the  bulwark 
of  the  army,  and  it  was  a  high  compliment  to  the  Mississippi 
brigade  to  have  such  an  important  duty  assigned  to  it.  Gen- 
eral Burnside  knew  that  he  must  break  our  line  at  this  point, 
otherwise  he  would  be  forced  to  recross  the  river.  He, 
therefore,  concentrated  the  fire  of  four  hundred  cannon  on 
Barksdale's  brigade,  before  his  infantry  made  the  memorable 
charge.  I  believe  I  can  say,  with  absolute  confidence,  there 
was  not  a  square  yard  of  earth  in  the  city  of  Fredericksburg 
which  was  not  struck  during  that  awful  cannonading.  Hun- 
dreds of  old  soldiers  who  saw  the  determination  of  -the  Fed- 
eral commander  to  annihilate  Barksdale's  brigade  looked  on 
in  wonder.  How  could  the  men  stand  it?  It  has  been  dis- 
cussed ever  since,  and  will  be  a  theme  as  long  as  there  is  a 
man  living  who  participated  in  or  witnessed  it.  The  charge  of 
Pickett's  brigade  at  Gettysburg  was  terrible,  but  it  was  noth- 
ing to  the  storm  which  rained  on  Barksdale's  brigade  at  Fred- 
ericksburg. Pickett's  men  were  on  the  move,  they  were  the 
attacking  party,  and  there  was  the  inspiration  of  General 
Lee's  presence.  The  Mississippians  stood  at  Fredericksburg 
exposed  to  the  greatest  artillery  fire  they  had  ever  known, 
and  with  hardly  a  hope  that  it  would  cease  till  the  last  of  the 
gallant  band  had  fallen.  Writers  tell  of  Pickett's  charge, 
and  it  "will  live  in  song  and  story"  forever,  and  it  is  due  to 
those  brave  and  gallant  soldiers  that  it  shall  so  live.  A  tow- 


68  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

ering  monument  of  finest  marble  should  be  reared  to  com- 
memorate their  heroic  sacrifices  and  their  sublime  devotion 
even  unto  death.  Every  name  should  be  inscribed  upon  it. 
The  descendants  of  those  heroes  can  refer  with  pride  in  all 
ages  to  the  heroism  their  ancestors  displayed  in  that  grand 
and  terriffic  charge.  It  will  be  an  object  lesson  for  future 
generations,  inspiring  the  youth  of  every  nationality  to  build 
his  life  on  such  a  foundation,  as  will  enable  him  to  approach 
the  grand  heroism  of  those  great  "Virginians."  But  it  re- 
quired more  courage,  more  manhood,  and  more  heroism  to 
face  the  situation  which  Barksdale  and  his  Mississippians 
faced  at  Fredericksburg  than  to  follow  the  charge  at  Gettys- 
burg. After  that  artillery  hell,  Barksdale's  brigade  was  moved 
down  into  the  valley,  and  deployed  a  skirmish  line  along  the 
river  bank.  The  men  marched  through  the  crooked  streets 
in  column  of  fours.  From  a  distance  it  looked  like  a  long 
snake ;  there  was  perfect  order  and  steadiness,  and  the  en- 
tire army  was  struck  with  it.  Notwithstanding  the  awful  sit- 
uation in  which  they  had  been  for  two  days,  they  moved  with 
proud  military  bearing.  As  they  emerged  into  the  valley,  a 
great  cheer  went  up  from  Marye's  Heights,  where  General 
Lee  had  stationed  the  Washington  artillery.  We  have  heard 
men  say  they  never  saw  such  remarkable  nerve  in  all  their 
lives.  Any  soldier  who  witnessed  that  cannonading,  it  mat- 
ters not  whether  he  be  Federal  or  Confederate,  will  tell  you 
it  was  the  most  terrific  during  the  war,  and  we  believe  of  any 
war.  The  Federals  crossed  during  the  night.  Barksdale's 
brigade  was  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  to  meet  them.  They 
rushed  at  our  line  like  droves  of  wolves.  Hundreds  were 
killed,  but  the  line  preserved  its  order.  It  was  an  awful  oc- 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  69 

casion.  The  position  held  by  Barksdale  must  be  taken.  The 
enemy  charged  us,  and  fought  like  devils.  Theirs  was  a 
grand  command  as  well  as  ours.  They  were  "Americans." 
They  attempted  to  climb  over  our  little  temporary  ditch, 
which  was  a  breast-work  in  name  only,  but  we  clubbed  them 
with  our  guns,  and  drove  them  back.  They  were  re-inforced 
and  re-formed.  The  Washington  artillery  poured  shell  right 
into  their  ranks.  They  opened  but  closed  up  again.  We 
saw  them  move  forward  the  second  time  under  the  fire  of  the 
batteries,  as  well  as  our  infantry  fire.  They  reached  our 
lines  again.  It  seemed  as  if  the  fate  of  the  human  race  de- 
pended on  the  conduct  of  each  individual.  Every  man  in 
both  armies  stood  square  to  the  front.  Many  gallant  deeds 
were  performed  by  individuals,  almost  every  man  on  both 
sides  deserved  special  mention,  but  there  was  a  circumstance 
that  did  not  at  the  time  seem  unusual,  which  should  be  men- 
tioned. Company  "C"  of  the  Eighteenth  regiment  was  the 
color  company.  The  flag  was  planted  squarely  on  the  bank 
of  the  ditch,  and  the  enemy  directed  a  deadly  fire  on  it. 
The  color  bearer  was  killed,  another  man  grabbed  the  staff 
and  raised  it.  He,  too,  was  killed,  and  several  others  followed 
and  were  also  killed.  The  enemy  was  within  ten  feet  of  the 
flag,  making  it  almost  certain  death  for  any  man  to  raise  it. 
A  modest  fellow  whose  place  was  near  the  center  of  our  com- 
pany— Luke  W.  Smith — rushed  at  the  colors  and  raised  them 
just  as  the  enemy  climbed  the  bank.  The  flag  had  been 
shot  in  probably  a  hundred  places.  A  Federal  soldier  at- 
tempted to  take  it  from  him;  but  Luke  Smitfi,  though  slen- 
der, made  up  his  mind  to  hold  on  to  that  staff  as  long  as  he 
lived,  and  his  adversary  was  equally  determined.  The  men 


70  PERSONAL  RECOLLECT!  ONS,  ETC., 

on  both  sides  had  all  they  could  attend  to,  and  Luke  and 
the  Yankee  scrambled  and  fought  over  the  colors.  Finally, 
the  Yankee  tore  the  fragments  of  the  flag  off  the  staff,  leav- 
ing Luke  with  nothing  but  the  stick.  We  again  drove  the 
enemy  back,  and  as  they  retired  Luke  broke  the  staff  over 
his  antagonist's  head,  and  recovered  the  flag,  but  he  never 
gave  up  the  piece  he  held  in  his  hands. 

General' Burnside  re-crossed  the  river  and  resumed  his 
position.  The  Little  Confederate  remembered  the  stories 
his  father  had  told  him  about  hardships  he  endured  when  a 
boy.  He  told  of  how  he  had  to  sleep  in  the  covered  wagons 
when  he  was  going  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  with  his 
mother's  cotton.  The  snow  would  blow  in  on  his  blankets, 
and  sometimes  cover  them  while  he  slept.  They  seemed 
great  hardships,  and  his  father  would  say:  •'  I  hope  you  will 
never  be  called  on  to  endure  the  like."  But  at  seventeen 
years  of  age,  the  little  fellow  could  tell  his  father  stories  of 
hardships,  dangers,  sufferings  and  trials,  he  had  never  dreamed 
of.  He  wrote  home  after  each  battle,  and  recited  the  dis- 
tressful news  of  the  death  of  his  friends.  He  was  getting 
terribly  tired  of  the  business,  but  never  a  murmur  escaped 
him.  The  first  battle  of  Fredricksburg  was  fought  December 
12  and  13,  1862. 

Notwithstanding  this  terrible  and  bloody  battle,  scarcely 
two  weeks  passed  before  the  army  had  settled  down  to  a 
normal  condition.  One  would  not  suppose  that  in  so  short  a 
time  after  they  had  fought  with  such  desperation,  and  seen  so 
many  of  their  friends  killed  and  wounded  by  their  sides,  men 
could  be  cheerful  and  hopeful.  But  this  was  a  remarkable 
characteristic  of  the  Confederate  soldier.  He  could  throw 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  71 

off  trouble,  or  face  dangers,  as  occasion  demanded.  Merry 
laughter  and  jests  could  be  heard  at  every  mess  fire.  The 
men  sang  and  danced  at  night,  and  talked  of  home  and 
lounged  about  during  the  day.  It  was  impossible  to  break 
or  even  check  their  spirits.  They  attended  divine  service  on 
Sunday  and  prayer  meeting  every  other  night — that  is,  they 
were  supposed  to  do  so.  The  chaplain  of  the  regiment,  Rev. 
A.  E.  Hackett,  was  in  every  sense  a  good  man.  He  always 
went  into  battle  with  the  regiment,  and  used  a  gun  with  tell- 
ing effect.  When  the  fight  was  over,  he  was  found  among 
the  wounded,  giving  them  every  assistance  within  human 
power.  He  was  dearly  beloved  by  every  man  in  the  Eight- 
eenth regiment.  Many  of  us  would  go  to  hear  his  beautiful 
and  touching  prayers,  because  of  his  great  earnestness.  Oc- 
casionally the  men  would  go  to  church  in  the  city.  One 
night,  soon  after  the  battle,  Billy  Blake,  John  Willis,  Lieuten- 
ant Wm.  McKie,  Winter  Shipp  and  the  Little  Confederate 
went  into  town  to  attend  church.  Arriving  there,  they  found 
the  pews  all  filled,  more  than  half  of  the  congregation  being 
soldiers.  Lieutenant  McKie  and  Winter  Shipp  went  in  and 
found  seats,  but  Billy  Blake,  John  Willis  and  the  Little  Con- 
federate remained  outside,  near  the  entrance.  They  amused 
themselves  in  many  ways,  as  best  they  could,  while  they 
waited  for  their  friends  to  join  them  after  the  service  was 
over.  Finally  a  little  dog  came  up  and  looked  in  the  church 
door.  He  seemed  to  be  hunting  for  his  master.  Willis  tried 
to  drive  him  away,  but  he  was  spunky  and  would  not  go. 
Billy  Blake,  who  was  always  bubbling  over  with  mischief, 
caught  the  dog  and  addressing  the  Little  Confederate,  said  : 
"Little  Horse,  hold  him  until  I  can  come  back."  He  was 


72  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

off  and  back  in  a  few  minutes,  with  an  old,  battered  tin 
bucket.  He  mashed  the  top  together  after  putting  a  few 
pebbles  in  it,  and  with  a  string  torn  from  his  shirt,  tied  it  to 
the  dog's  tail.  The  dog  did  not  realize  what  was  going  on, 
but  evidently  thought  he  was  being  caressed.  After  it  was 
all  ready,  Billy  picked  the  dog  up,  carried  him  off  some 
twenty  yards,  and  put  him  down,  supposing  he  would  run 
down  the  street.  They  looked  for  great  fun,  but  when  He  hit 
the  ground  he  knew  something  was  wrong,  and  instead  of 
going  home,  he  broke  for  the  church.  Down  the  aisle  he  ran 
with  all  his  speed,  the  bucket  striking  the  floor,  making  as 
much  noise  as  a  wagon  train.  He  barked  at  every  jump.  It 
threw  the  congregation  into  great  confusion.  Men  stood  on 
their  seats,  and  ladies  screamed.  The  dog  reached  the 
pulpit.  He  had  not  found  his  master;  not  even  a  friendly 
hand.  He  rushed  into  the  pulpit.  It  was  all  done  in  a 
second.  The  church  was  poorly  lighted  with  tallow  candles, 
one  resting  on  each  side  of  the  Bible.  As  the  dog  reached 
the  pulpit,  the  preacher  jumped  up  on  the  desk,  knocking 
off  the  candles  and  extinguishing  them.  The  dog  started 
down  the  other  aisle,  and  by  this  time  the  greatest  excite- 
ment prevailed.  Men  jumped  out  of  the  windows,  others 
rushed  through  the  doors.  The  occasion  was  so  unusual  and 
so  unexpected,  the  best  soldiers  were  knocked  completely  out. 
The  three  boys  saw  the  dog  go  up  in  the  pulpit,  saw  the  lights 
go  out,  and  witnessed  the  confusion,  then  broke  for  camp. 
They  ran  as  rapidly  as  they  could,  for  nearly  a  mile  before 
they  halted  or  said  a  word.  When  they  pulled  up,  Billy  Blake, 
in  the  most  solemn  manner  said:  "  Little  Horse,  what  did  you 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  73 

start  that  derned  dog  toward  the  church  for  ?  "  and  then  fell 
down  and  rolled  over  in  the  road.  They  laughed  and  talked 
about  it  until  they  heard  others  approaching,  when  they  put 
out  again.  They  reached  camp,  and  lay  down  in  front  of  the 
fire  on  the  bare  ground,  and  pretended  to  be  asleep.  Directly 
the  church  goers  began  to  arrive,  and  the  balance  of  our 
crowd  with  them.  Lieutenant  McKie  knew,  as  soon  as  he 
saw  them  all  hugged  up  together  before  the  fire,  who  tied  the 
can  to  the  dog,  but  he  never  accused  the  boys.  The  occur- 
rence was  the  talk  of  the  camp,  as  well  as  of  the  good 
citizens  of  Fredericksburg.  Next  day  General  Barksdale 
instructed  each  colonel  to  investigate  the  matter  fully, 
and  if  it  was  found  to  have  been  done  by  a  man  of  his 
brigade,  he  wanted  the  scamp  well  punished.  The  boys 
were  the  only  persons  who  seemed  entirely  ignorant  of  the 
trouble. 

Uncle  Freeman  was  in  the  church,  and  in  the  mad  rush  he 
lost  his  haversack.  He  always  carried  it  over  his  shoulder. 
The  one  he  lost  he  prized  greatly.  It  was  a  nice  one,  he 
found  on  a  dead  Yankee  officer  at  Sharpsburg.  Uncle  Free- 
man had  said  very  litle  about  the  affair,  and  was  very  cold 
toward  "  Billy"  and  "  Bud."  Finally,  Billy  asked  him  if  he 
knew  who  tied  the  bucket  to  the  dog's  tail.  He  said:  "I 
know  'zactly  who  done  it,  jis'  as  good  if  I'd  er  seed  um,  and, 
Mars  Billy,  you  knows  who  dun  it  too."  Billy  assumed  a 
most  pathetic  air,  referred  to  his  good  intentions  in  going  to 
church,  how  it  grieved  him  to  be  accused  of  so  horrible  an 
act,  and  hoped  that  God  would  forgive  Uncle  Freeman  for 
his  cruel  and  wicked  suspicion  against  the  boys.  Billy  was 


74  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

so  earnest  that  he  finally  convinced  Uncle  Freeman  of  their 
innocence.  The  boys  were  very  quiet  and  good  for  a  few 
days,  but  were  soon  out  roving  over  the  country  for  some- 
thing to  eat  during  the  day,  and  making  life  a  burden  to  their 
friends  at  night. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  75 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE  MEN  OF  BOTH  ARMIES  BECOME  VERY  FRIENDLY — THE 
LITTLE  CONFEDERATE  is  APPOINTED  FIRST  LIEUTENANT 
IN  THE  C.  S.  ARMY,  AND  PRESENTS  HIMSELF  TO  THE 
SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 

There  was  no  characteristic  in  the  American  soldier  more 
prominent  than  his  ability  to  adapt  himself  to  circumstances. 
It  was  but  a  short  time  after  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg, 
where  the  two  armies  had  been  arrayed  against  each  other 
with  all  the  ferocity  of  wolves,  and  yet  the  men  on  both 
sides  were  perfectly  friendly  as  individuals.  "The  Yanks" 
sent  us  newspapers,  coffee  and  other  things  they  could  get, 
and  we  sent  them  tobacco.  We  had  nothing  else  they 
wanted.  The  neighborly  feeling  was  growing,  till  the  officers 
thought  it  was  going  too  far,  and  ordered  us  to  stop  all  com- 
munications, and  to  shoot  at  every  man  we  saw.  But  all  the 
bitterness  was  forgotten,  and  it  was  impossible  to  stop  us  from 
being  friendly  toward  each  other.  Oftentimes  you  would 
hear  a  Confederate  halloo,  "Hello,  Old  Yank!  how  you 
getting  on?"  The  Yank  would  answer:  "All  right  Old 
Johnnie,  what's  the  news?"  "Say,  Old  Yank,  send  me  a 
newspaper  and  some  coffee."  "All  right,  Old  Johnnie. 
Wait  a  minute.  Say,  I  'm  going  off  duty  now,  I  will  see  you 
again  to-morrow — good  bye,"  and  other  such  chats.  I  have 
seen  dozens  of  old  Johnnies,  and  as  many  Yanks,  kneeling  at 
the  river's  edge,  getting  their  bark  boats  in  position  to  send 
over.  The  kindest  feeling  prevailed,  and  I  venture  to  assert, 


76  PEKSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

though  it  has  been  a  long  time  since  then,  that  the  war  could 
have  been  settled  in  ten  days  if  the  question  had  been  left  to 
the  soldiers.  The  Federal  soldier  had  a  profound  regard  for 
the  Southern  soldier  after  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  It 
was  right  here  that  the  loftiest  sentiment  ever  suggested  to  a 
soldier's  mind  came  out.  It  was  in  the  spring  of  1863.  "Two 
great  armies  were  encamped  on  either  side  of  the  Rappahan- 
nock  river,  one  dressed  in  blue  and  the  other  in  grey.  As 
twilight  fell,  the  bands  on  the  Union  side  began  to  play 
'The  Star  Sprangled  Banner,'  and  'Rally  Round  the 
Flag.'  The  challenge  was  taken  up  by  those  on  the  other 
side  and  they  responded  with  '  The  Bonnie  Blue  Flag,'  and 
'Away  Down  South  in  Dixie.'  It  was  borne  upon  the  soul 
of  a  single  soldier  in  one  of  those  bands  to  begin  a  sweeter, 
more  tender  air,  and,  slowly  as  he  played  it,  all  the  instru- 
ments on  the  Union  side  joined  in,  until  finally  a  great  and 
mighty  chorus  swelled  up  all  along  the  lines  of  both  armies, 
'Home  Sweet  Home.'  When  they  had  finished  there  was 
no  challenge  yonder,  for  every  band  upon  that  farther  shore 
had  taken  up  the  sweet  old  air,  so  attuned  to  all  that  is 
holiest  and  dearest  in  human  nature,  and  one  chorus  of  the 
two  hosts  went  up  to  God.  When  the  music  had  ceased, 
from  the  boys  in  grey  came  a  challenge  :  '  Three  cheers  for 
Home.'  And  as  they  went  resounding  toward  the  skies  from 
both  sides  of  the  river,  something  upon  the  soldiers'  cheeks 
washed  off  the  stains  of  powder."  Could  such  a  circumstance 
occur  in  any  country  in  the  world  except  our  own?  None 
but  Americans  can  understand  the  feelings  of  the  soldiers  of 
those  great  armies.  The  men  who  had  faced  each  other  but 
a  few  weeks  ago  in  one  of  the  bloodiest  battles  of  the  world, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  11 

could  now  be  marshaled  under  one  banner  on  a  mere  sug- 
gestion. 

On  one  occasion,  the  Little  Confederate  was  busy  getting  his 
bark  ready  to  sail.  He  was  squatting  at  the  river's  edge,  in- 
stead of  standing  picket,  as  he  was  told  to  do,  when  the  cor- 
poral of  the  guard,  Lem.  Harvey,  spoke  to  him  and  said: 
"The  captain  wants  you.  I  will  take  your  post."  The 
little  fellow  reported  to  his  captain,  who,  in  turn,  ordered 
him  to  report  to  General  Barksdale.  "What  have  I  done?" 
he  asked  himself.  Arriving  at  the  general's  fire,  he  saluted, 
and  said:  "General,  I  was  ordered  to  report  to  you."  He 
probably  noticed  the  boy  was  nervous,  and  said:  "Little 
Horse,  what  have  you  been  doing  ?  I  thought  you  would  get 
into  trouble.  Come  along  with  me."  The  general  and  the 
boy  walked  off  together.  He  was  a  friend  of  the  boy's 
father,  but  the  little  fellow  thought  his  time  had  come.  They 
reached  the  camp  of  General  Sims'  Georgia  brigade,  and 
halted  at  the  general's  fire.  General  Barksdale  said :  "Here 
is  the  '  Little  Horse.' "  And  turning  to  the  boy,  asked :  "  Do 
you  know  General  Sims?"  The  little  fellow  thought  General 
Sims  was  a  witness  against  him,  so  he  answered:  "No,  sir." 
"Why,"  said  the  general,  "are  you  not  the  boy  who  gave 
me  the  water  when  I  was  hurt  at  Sharpsburg,  and  helped  me 
off  the  field?"  He  could  not  deny  this.  "  Well,"  said  Gen- 
eral Sims,  "I  have  often  thought  of  you,  and  it  affords  me 
much  pleasure  to  say  you  have  been  appointed  a  lieutenant 
in  the  Confederate  States  Army,  and  here  is  your  commis- 
sion ;"  at  the  same  time  handing  an  official  envelope  ad- 
dressed to  The  Hon.  James  A.  Sedden,  Secretary  of  War, 
Richmond,  Va.  The  boy  was  so  astounded  it  was  several 


78  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

minutes  before  he  could  speak.  He  took  the  letter,  which 
looked  fully  as  large  as  a  front  door.  It  was  the  first  official 
envelope  he  had  ever  seen.  Finally  he  thanked  the  general, 
who  said:  "General  Barksdale  will  give  you  transportation 
to  Richmond,  and  after  you  have  presented  yourself  to  the 
Secretary  of  War,  he  will  give  you  permission  to  go  home  a 
few  days."  It  seemed  like  a  dream.  The  little  fellow  was 
anxious  to  get  away,  for  fear  somebody  would  tell  him  it  was 
a  joke.  He  went  back  to  his  company,  and  all  arrangements 
were  made  for  his  departure.  He  did  not  have  a  dollar,  but 
Captain  Frank  Cassell  gave  him  $150  to  take  to  his  brother, 
who  lived  at  Canton,  Miss.  It  was  Wednesday  morning  that 
Uncle  Freeman,  Matt.,  and  the  "Little  Soldier"  took  the 
train  for  Richmond.  They  arrived  about  five  in  the  after- 
noon, and  went  to  the  Spottswood  Hotel,  which  was  thought 
to  be  the  best,  as  well  as  the  most  expensive,  hotel  in  Rich- 
mond. The  boy  and  his  two  negroes  marched  in.  They 
stood  and  looked.  They  had  never  seen  such  a  grand  place 
before.  In  a  few  moments,  a  man  approached  the  trio,  and. 
pointing  to  the  door,  said:  "Get  out  of  here."  The  Little 
Confederate  had  long  yellow  hair,  badly  tangled  and  matted. 
He  had  the  rim  of  a  hat,  no  top  or  brim  to  it,  simply  a  band; 
the  waist  of  an  old  coat  (the  skirt  had  been  cut  off  to  patch 
the  sleeves,  and  for  other  uses) ;  a  pair  of  old  Yankee  pants, 
the  left  leg  split  from  the  knee  down,  and  tied  together  with 
willow  bark.  You  could  see  his  mangy  skin,  and,  what  was 
worse  than  all,  he  was  full  of  "gray  backs."  Ben  Muse  had 
given  him  the  legs  of  a  pair  of  boots,  which  he  had  tied  to- 
gether at  both  ends  and  cut  a  hole  in  the  middle ;  these  were 
his  shoes — he  had  no  socks.  No  wonder  the  hotel  man  or- 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM 2'.  79 

dered  him  out.  They  stood  in  the  street  a  short  time,  but  it 
was  very  cold,  and  Matt,  went  to  find  a  place  for  shelter. 
Very  soon  he  returned,  and  they  went  down  into  the  kitchen 
of  the  hotel,  where  they  ate  the  scraps  from  the  table  and 
went  to  sleep  on  the  stone  floor.  Next  morning,  the  good 
old  negro  cook  gave  them  breakfast,  and  the  little  fellow  and 
his  negroes,  whom  he  loved  more  than  himself,  started  for 
the  capitol.  They  waited  some  time  before  the  offices  were 
open,  after  which  they  looked  about  to  find  Mr.  Sedden. 
Presently  Uncle  Freeman,  who  could  read,  noticed  a  sign  on 
a  door.  "Office  of  Secretary  of  War."  The  little  soldier 
knocked.  A  guard  sat  inside,  with  a  gun  across  his  lap. 
He  asked  abruptly:  "What  do  you  want?''  "I  want  to  see 
the  Secretary  of  War.  I  have  a  letter  for  him.  '  "Give  it 
to  me;  I  will  send  it  in,"  said  the  guard."  "  No;  I  was  told 
to  give  it  to  him  myself."  This  seemed  to  make  the  guard 
mad,  and  he  said:  "Get  away  from  here,  you  ragged  scamp," 
and  closed  the  door.  Uncle  Freeman  and  Matt,  were  furious. 
Uncle  Freeman  said:  "He  better  not  let  marster  hear  him 
say  that.  Called  my  young  marster  a  ragged  scamp !  I  like 
to  know  how  many  niggers  he  got.  I  bet  marster 's  got  more 
niggers  and  mules  and  oxen  than  he  got  in  his  whole  neigh- 
borhood. I  know  he  is.  Called  my  marster  ragged !  I 
do  n't  care  if  he  is  ragged,  he  sha  n't  call  him  ragged.  I 
gwine  to  tell  marster,  if  God  spares  me."  While  Uncle 
Freeman  talked,  Matt,  was  getting  hot.  If  the  little  fellow 
had  said  the  word,  Matt,  would  have  smashed  the  door 
down.  They  went  back  from  the  War  Department  badly 
discouraged.  Passing  along  the  street,  they  saw  the  "Mis- 
sissippi Supply  Depot."  Dr.  W.  W.  Devine,  a  friend  of  the 


80  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC. 

boy,  was  in  charge,  and,  after  listening  to  the  boy's  story, 
said:  "You  come  here  about  ten  o'clock  to-morrow,  and  I 
will  go  with  you."  The  day  was  spent  in  the  kitchen  of  the 
Spottswood. 

Promptly  at  ten  o'clock  Friday,  the  little  soldier  and  his 
two  negroes  were  waiting  the  doctor's  pleasure.  Soon  he  was 
ready,  and  they  proceeded  to  the  capitol.  The  little  fellow 
knocked  at  the  door  where  the  same  guard  was  on  duty. 
"Are  you  here  again?"  he  asked.  "Yes,"  answered  Dr. 
Devine,  "and  he  is  going  in,  too."  The  guard  moved  his 
chair.  Dr.  Devine  passed  into  an  adjoining  room  where  he 
introduced  the  Little  Confederate ;  Uncle  Freeman  and  Matt 
standing  close  behind.  Mr.  Sedden  was  dressed  in  dark 
clothes ;  his  spectacles  were  tied  back  of  his  head,  the  rim 
resting  on  his  nose.  He  resembled  D.  H.  Hill,  and  did  not 
seem  to  need  the  glasses,  for  he  looked  over  them.  He 
opened  the  large  envelope,  and  questioned  the  boy  about 
where  he  lived,  his  father's  name  and  address.  The  secre- 
tary and  Dr.  Devine  passed  into  another  room,  and  when 
they  returned,  he  said,  "Have  you  no  better  clothing  than 
those  you  have  on?"  "No,  sir,"  answered  the  boy. 
"Well, "said  Mr.  Sedden,  "  you  go  with  these  gentlemen" 
(referring  to  Dr.  Devine  and  a  man  from  his  office)  "and 
they  wfll  try  to  get  you  a  better  suit.  After  you  do  so,  come 
back  to  see  me;  by  that  time  I  will  have  your  papers  ready." 
As  they  left  the  room,  Mr.  Sedden  said,  "  Have  his  hair  cut 
also."  There  is  no  doubt  that  he  was  about  as  "onery" 
looking  a  chap  as  ever  entered  the  Confederate  capitol. 
He  might  have  had  "cockle-burs"  in  his  hair,  but  he 
did  n't,  and  that  was  the  only  thing  wanting  to  complete  the 


THE  LITTLE  CONFEDERATE  AND  HIS  NIGGERS. 

As  they  appeared  before  the  Secretary  of  War. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  81 

awkwardness  of  his  appearance.  Nor  was  he  an  exception. 
The  army  for  the  past  five  months  had  been  very  actively 
engaged,  and  nothing  in  the  way  of  clothing  could  .reach 
the  men. 

Our  party  passed  several  streets,  finally  went  into  a  cloth- 
ing store,  where  tailors  were  busy  making  uniforms.  The 
gentleman  from  Mr.  Sedden's  office  selected  a  suit  of  under- 
wear, shoes  and  socks,  and  a  suit  of  clothes.  He  had  them 
wrapped  up  in  a  bundle  and  left  the  store.  Soon  they  passed 
down  into  a  cellar;  it  was  a  barber-shop  and  bath-room. 
The  gentleman  said  to  the  negro  attendant,  "  Get  a  bar  of 
good  soap,  and  give  this  young  man  a  thorough  cleaning," 
then  turning  to  the  barber,  said,  "  You  cut  his  hair."  He 
left  the  bundle  of  clothes  and  said  to  the  boy,  "Throw  your 
old  ones  away  and  put  the  new  ones  on."  After  the  boy  had 
stripped,  the  negro  walked  in  with  a  bar  of  home-made  lye 
soap ;  one  side  of  it  had  the  coarse  salt  sticking  out.  He 
evidently  thought  it  was  a  case  which  needed  heroic  treat- 
ment. The  boy  had  stood  insults  from  the  clerk  in  the  hotel, 
and  from  the  guard  at  the  door  of  the  Secretary  of  War's 
office,  but  when  he  told  that  nigger  not  to  rub  him  so  hard  with 
that  old  rough  soap,  he  meant  it.  It  required  Uncle  Free- 
man and  Matt,  also  the  barber,  to  pull  the  boy  loose  from 
that  nigger.  He  yelled  like  a  goat.  Uncle  Freeman  had  to 
finish  the  job.  After  leaving  the  barber-shop,  the  three 
promenaded  the  streets  till  night  came  on,  when  they  went 
back  to  the  Spotswood.  Uncle  Freeman  and  Matt  were  very 
proud  of  their  young  "marster"  now,  and  admired  him  ex- 
travagantly. Uncle  Freeman  said,  "Wonder  what  that 
guard  up  yonder  to  the  White  House  gwine  to  say  now." 


82  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  £rC., 

Reaching  the  hotel,  a  man  said,  "  Come  in.  Will  you  regis- 
ter ?  "  "  Will  I  do  what !  What  did  you  say  to  me  ?  "  asked 
the  little  soldier.  "Walk  up  to  the  counter  and  register," 
he  answered.  The  little  fellow  never  heard  the  expression 
before.  While  he  had  stopped  at  hotels,  it  was  always  with 
his  father  and  mother,  and  he  had  no  idea  what  register 
meant.  He  consulted  Uncle  Freeman  and  Matt.  Uncle 
Freeman  said,  "  Don't  you  do  it!  Don't  you  do  it."  So  the 
boy  walked  up  to  the  man  and  said,  "I  won't  do  it,  sir;  I 
never  did  such  a  thing  in  my  life.  I  don't  drink  nor  play 
cards  either."  The  man  laughed  and  said,  "That  is  not 
what  I  meant.  Come  up  here  and  write  your  name,  so  I  can 
give  you  a  room."  The  following  day  was  Saturday.  When 
the  little  soldier  rapped  at  the  office  door  of  the  Secretary 
of  War,  the  same  guard  opened  it,  but  he  opened  it  wide, 
and  was  very  courteous.  Reaching  Mr.  Sedden's  presence, 
he  saluted  and  said,  "  Mr.  Sedden,  I  have  returned  for  the 
papers."  "  What  papers;  I  do  not  think  I  know  you."  The 
boy  explained,  but  Mr.  Sedden  replied,  "Do  not  try  to  de- 
ceive me ;  the  young  man  who  brought  these  papers  looked 
very  differently  from  you."  The  secretary  teased  the  boy  for 
some  minutes,  then  addressing  him  as  "lieutenant,"  gave 
him  his  commission,  dated  April  the  pth,  1863,  together  with 
transportation  for  himself  and  negroes  to  Canton,  Mississippi. 
He  also  gave  him  orders  to  report  to  Lieutenant-General 
Pemberton  at  Vicksburg,  and  a  leave  of  absence  for  thirty 
days  to  visit  his  "  dear  mother  and  father." 

The  whole  affair  seemed  so  much  like  Jack  and  his  bean- 
stalk that  the  little  fellow  scarcely  knew  whether  it  was  a 
reality  or  not.  He  did  not  thank  Mr.  Sedden  for  the 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  83 

clothes,  it  did  not  occur  to  him  until  after  the  train  left  Rich- 
mond, but  some  weeks  after  he  reached  home,  his  father  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  General  Barksdale  inclosing  the  bills. 
The  general  had  requested  Mr.  Sedden  to  fit  the  young 
"lieutenant"  out.  In  future  we  will  refer  to  the  Little  Con- 
federate as  "Lieutenant  Bleecker." 


84  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER    XL 

THE  LITTLE  CONFEDERATE  LEAVES  THE  ARMY  OF  NORTH- 
ERN VIRGINIA,  AND  SPENDS  A  FEW  WEEKS  AT  HOME. 

Lieutenant  Bleecker,  before  leaving  Richmond,  spent  a  day 
at  the  hospitals,  where  several  of  his  friends  had  been  taken 
after  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg.  A  gallant  young  fellow, 
from  Madison  county,  David  Saddler,  was  a  member  of  the 
Twenty-first  Mississippi  Regiment,  Barksdale's  brigade.  At 
Fredericksburg  he  had  one  of  his  feet  shot  off  by  a  can- 
non ball.  A  friend  offered  to  take  him  back  where  the  sur- 
geons could  give  him  attention,  but  Dave  said:  "No,  not 
now ;  but  after  you  have  driven  them  back  across  the  river, 
come  and  help  me."  The  friend  was  James  L.  Finley,  a 
friend  also  of  Lieutenant  Bleecker.  In  less  than  ten  minutes, 
Jim  Finley  had  his  right  arm  shot  off  above  the  elbow, 
and  as  he  was  leaving  the  field  passed  the  spot  where  he  had 
left  Dave  Saddler,  and  found  to  his  great  horror  that  his 
other  foot  had  been  shot  off,  and  that  he  was  bleeding  to 
death.  Be  it  ever  said  to  the  praise  of  Jim  Finley,  that  he  for- 
got his  own  sufferings,  and  hurried  back  to  report  the  fact  to 
the  colonel,  exposing  himself  to  a  terrific  fire  in  doing  so.  A 
detail  was  sent,  which  carried  both  Saddler  and  Finley  to  the 
field  hospital.  These  two  boys  were  in  the  hospital  at  Rich- 
mond when  Lieutenant  Bleecker  called.  They  were  all  warm 
friends,  and  enjoyed  being  together.  Mrs.  Owens,  a  devoted 
sister  of  Dave  Saddler,  went  from  Madison  county  to  nurse 
him,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  her  tender  care  that  those  boys 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  85 

survived.  They  are  both  living  to-day,  David  Saddler  at 
Corinth,  Miss.,  and  Jim  Finley  is  the  Rev.  Dr.  James  L.  Fin- 
ley,  a  Baptist  minister  of  much  prominence.  These  boys  lay 
on  their  cots  convalescing.  A  minister  approached  Dave  Sad- 
dler, and  offering  him  a  nice  pair  of  yarn  socks,  said:  "Accept 
these,  I  wish  the  dear  woman  who  knit  them  could  present 
them  to  you  in  person."  Dave  replied  :  "Thank  you,  very 
kindly,  but  I  have  decided  I  will  never  wear  another  pair  of 
socks  while  I  live."  The  preacher  protested,  and  insisted, 
but  Dave  could  not  be  pursuaded  to  take  them.  Finally  the 
preacher  met  Mrs.  Owens,  and  told  her  how  foolish  her 
brother  had  acted.  "Why,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Owens,  "both 
of  his  feet  have  been  shot  off!" 

The  official  records  of  the  United  States,  that  were  made 
up  from  the  reports  of  both  armies,  which  are  regarded  as 
nearly  correct  as  any  thing  of  the  kind  can  be,  show  there 
were  enlisted  during  the  entire  war  on  the  Confederate  side  a 
little  less  than  six  hundred  thousand  men.  This  includes 
teamsters,  nurses,  provost-guards,  and  every  man  engaged. 
The  greatest  number  engaged  in  service  at  any  time  was  three 
hundred  and  seventeen  thousand  men.  The  same  records 
show  that  there  were  enlisted  in  the  Federal  army  during  the 
same  time  two  million  eight  hundred  and  seventy-two  thou- 
sand men,  or  over  two  million  men  more  than'  the  Confed- 
erates had.  General  Lee's  force  was  reduced  by  death  and 
other  causes  to  eight  thousand  men  for  duty.  He  surren- 
dered that  number  besides  five  thousand  disabled  men  to  Gen- 
eral Grant  at  Appomattox.  General  Grant's  army,  to  which 
General  Lee  surrendered,  numbered  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  thousand  men.  Those  eight  thousand  men  were  all  heroes 


86  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

like  Dave  Saddler  and  Jim  Finley.  There  were  numbers  of 
men  with  whom  Lieutenant  Bleecker  parted  on  leaving  the 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  that,  he  never  saw  afterward. 
Their  bones  are  bleaching  in  the  valleys,  on  the  mountains 
and  hills  of  Virginia.  Those  men  were  martyrs  to  a  princi- 
ple and  human  rights,  and  they  left  to  posterity  honored 
names  and  unblemished  reputations.  They  established  for 
the  world  a  standard  of  manhood  never  before  equaled,  and 
one  which  will  not  be  excelled.  The  State  of  Mississippi 
would  honor  herself  by  establishing  and  preserving  an  im- 
perishable memorial  for  her  sons  who  were  among  those 
martyrs.  Each  individual  deserves  it.  They  gave  their  lives 
for  the  state,  and  the  state  should  remember  their  sufferings, 
their  devotion,  and  their  heroic  sacrifices.  The  present 
generation  will  never  appreciate  their  heroism,  but  they  will 
be  remembered  in  the  far-distant  future. 

In  bidding  good-bye  to  the  great  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  referring  particularly  to  Barksdale's  brigade,  we 
drop  a  tear  to  the  memory  of  heroic  General  William  Barks- 
dale,  brave,  patriotic  and  kind.  He  was  a  statesman,  and  a 
hero.  We  saw  him  in  battle,  on  the  march,  and  in  camp. 
He  felt  a  personal  interest  in  every  man  in  his  brigade ;  he 
was  proud  of  his  men,  and  never  doubted  them.  He  be- 
lieved they  would  follow  him,  nor  was  he  mistaken.  He  fell 
with  his  face  to  the  foe.  To  the  brave  and  soldierly  Colonel 
Thomas  Griffin,  of  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi ;  a  model  soldier, 
and  the  grandest  colonel  in  the  army.  And  Colonel  John  C. 
Fizer,  of  the  Seventeenth;  Major  James  Campbell  of  the  Eight- 
eenth ;  and  all  the  field  officers  of  that  incomparable  brigade. 
We  knew  Colonel  Fizer  when  he  was  the  adjutant  of  his  regi- 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMY.  87 

ment,  and  we  knew  him  when  the  was  the  colonel.  He  filled  to 
a  high  degree  the  most  exalted  idea  of  a  dashing  cavalier,  and 
proud  as  a  knight  of  the  crusades.  We  have  seen  him  at  the 
head  of  his  regiment,  on  that  light  bay,  before  reaching  any 
position  he  was  ordered  to  take,  dash  ahead  and  reconnoiter, 
then  gallop  back.  His  face  would  be  radiant.  He  was 
always  looking  out  for  his  men.  He  was  the  same  courtly, 
elegant  gentleman  under  fire  that  he  was  in  camp,  or  on  the 
march.  Too  much  could  not  be  said  of  Major  Campbell,  as 
cool  and  courageous  as  Hill,  and  as  watchful  as  Stuart ;  com- 
paratively a  boy,  he  filled  his  position  with  great  credit.  He 
commanded  the  Eighteenth  regiment  at  the  battle  of  Sharps- 
burg,  and  was  seriously  wounded  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
enemy's  lines.  He  afterward  died  on  the  field  of  battle.  A 
more  patriotic  soul  never  took  its  flight  to  the  unknown 
world.  This  story  would  fill  a  volume,  if  all  the  virtues  of 
the  gallant  men  of  Barksdale's  brigade  were  chronicled  in  it. 
The  writer  wishes  he  had  the  capacity  to  do  them  full  justice, 
but  the  future  must  and  will  recognize  their  unquestionable 
right  to  rank  as  brave,  true  and  great  men.  There  were,  of 
course,  some  men  who  filled  the  measure  to  overflowing. 
Such  were  Captain  W.  G.  Johnson,  Lieutenant  Wm.  McKie, 
Lieutenant  George  Covert,  Sam  Finley,  James  Burnes,  Ed. 
Drenning,  Peter  Whalen,  Bateman  Brown,  Peyton  Wales, 
W.  L.  McKee,  John  Sneed,  and  others,  all  of  Company  "  C," 
Eighteenth  Mississippi  regiment.  These  men  never  shirked 
duty,  never  straggled,  missed  a  march  or  a  battle.  They 
were  an  inspiration  to  the  other  men.  We  have  been  ex- 
hausted and  felt  that  we  could  not  go  another  hundred  yards, 
but  when  we  saw  the  earnest  faces  of  those  men,  we  found 


88  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

new  life  and  energy.  Sam  Finley,  Peyton  Wales  and  Jim 
Burns  were  ideal  soldiers;  always  ready  for  duty,  without 
a  complaint  at  any  time.  They  were  Christian  soldiers  of 
the  grandest  type.  They  passed  through  the  entire  war, 
until  within  a  few  weeks  of  its  close,  and  were  killed 
at  Berryville,  Virginia,  at  the  same  time,  and  side  by 
side,  as  they  had  stood  and  fought  for  four  long  years. 
Providence  seemed  unwilling  to  separate  them.  W.  L. 
McKee  was  a  few  months  younger  than  Lieutenant  Bleecker, 
and  the  only  boy  in  the  brigade  who  was.  "  Billy,"  as  he 
was  familiarly  called  by  all  the  division,  was  as  gallant  a  little 
"  Reb "  as  ever  mustered  for  duty.  General  Barksdale 
selected  him  from  all  the  brigade,  as  his  courier.  His  con- 
duct was  an  honor  to  his  people.  "  Billy"  is  still  living,  but 
has  moved  to  Texas.  Captain  W.  G.  Johnson  now  lives  at 
Orlando,  Florida;  Lieutenant  George  Covert  at  Meridian, 
Mississippi ;  Peter  Whalen  in  Madison  county,  Mississippi ; 
and  Ed.  Drenning  in  Yazoo  City,  Mississippi ;  but  the  others 
I  have  named  were  killed  in  battle. 


GENERAL  JAMES  R.  CHALMERS. 


PART    II. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

LIEUTENANT  BLEECKER  REPORTS  TO  GENERAL  JAMES  R. 
CHALMERS  FOR  DUTY,  AND  is  ASSIGNED  TO  THE  COM- 
MAND OF  AN  ARTILLERY  SECTION. 

Lieutenant  Bleecker  and  his  faithful  negroes  reached  Can- 
ton, Miss.,  their  home,  about  the  latter  part  of  April,  1863, 
having  been  detained  at  several  places  en  route  on  account 
of  washouts  and  other  causes.  The  facilities  for  transporta- 
tion were  as  poor  at  that  time  as  they  could  well  be.  There 
was  great  rejoicing  at  Bleecker's  home.  The  dear  mother, 
who  prayed  every  day  for  the  safety  of  her  boy,  felt  that  her 
prayer  had  been  granted.  Every  thing  was  done  for  his 
comfort  and  happiness.  Entertainments  were  arranged  for 
his  pleasure,  to  which  all  the  friends  of  the  neighborhood 
were  invited,  and  all  were  glad  to  see  the  little  fellow  safely 
at  home.  Old  people,  the  friends  and  neighbors  of  his  pa- 
rents, would  listen  to  the  stories  he  told  with  great  interest. 
They  felt  that  the  boy  had  passed  through  a  wonderful  pe- 
riod, and  they  longed  to  hear  all  he  had  to  say.  They  would 
inquire  anxiously  after  their  sons  and  brothers  whom  he  left 
in  Virginia.  His  dear  mother  clung  to  him  as  if  she  could 

(89) 


90  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

never  let  him  go  again;  but  she  enjoyed  the  happiness  of  the 
present,  and  felt  proud  that  her  boy  had  won  the  compli- 
ments and  promotion  he  had  received.  The  sisters  and  little 
brothers  enjoyed  the  presence  of  their  soldier  brother,  but 
after  awhile  began  to  think  mother  was  partial  to  "Bud." 
We  can  see  her  heavenly  face  now,  when  she  would  place 
her  arms  around  his  neck  and  caress  him  with  sweet  tender- 
ness. One  of  the  most  delightful  months  of  his  life  was 
spent  at  this  time.  Toward  the  middle  of  May,  he  saw  his 
time  was  about  up,  and  he  must  report  to  General  Pember- 
ton.  Arriving  at  Vicksburg,  he  found  every  thing  ready  for 
an  attack  from  the  Federal  fleet  and  army.  He  remained 
about  the  general's  headquarters  for  several  days  waiting  as- 
signment, and  finally,  obtaining  an  interview,  he  asked  to  be 
assigned  to  General  J.  R.  Chalmers,  who  had  command  of 
the  cavalry  in  North  Mississippi.  The  request  was  graciously 
granted,  and  he  left  Vicksburg  just  in  time  to  escape  the 
siege.  He  again  returned  home,  for  his  horses  and  negroes, 
where  he  spent  a  few  days  before  reporting  to  General  Chal- 
mers. When  he  decided  on  the  day  he  would  go,  his  father 
said  he  must  take  two  other  negroes,  Jim  and  Burton,  in 
place  of  Uncle  Freeman  and  Matt.  He  felt  that  the  latter 
had  suffered  hardships  enough.  He  could  not  furnish  a  sub- 
stitute for  his  son,  but  he  could  relieve  the  good  old  negroes 
with  substitutes. 

Jim  and  Burton  were  delighted,  and  made  promises  that 
they  would  take  care  of  "young  marster "  and  bring  him 
back  home.  When  the  day  arrived,  Lieutenant  Bleecker, 
dressed  in  a  new  uniform,  with  a  beautiful  sword  and  belt, 
mounted  on  the  handsomest  little  thoroughbred  sorrel  we 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  91. 

ever  saw,  stood  in  the  front  yard  to  bid  the  dear  ones  good- 
bye again.  Jim  and  Burton  were  also  mounted  on  good 
horses,  and  were  in  the  greatest  state  of  excitement,  talking 
to  the  negroes,  about  a  hundred  or  more,  who  had  gathered 
around  to  say  "good-bye."  Jim's  mother  was  Lieutenant 
Bleecker's  "black  mammy."  She  loved  her  white  child  de- 
votedly, even  more  than  she  did  her  own.  She  clung  to  his 
feet,  crying  and  praying  for  his  safety  and  early  return.  It 
was  a  remarkable  scene,  and  the  most  trying  one  that 
Bleecker  was  ever  called  on  to  go  through.  His  dear 
mother  delayed  the  departure  from  moment  to  moment,  un- 
able to  give  up  her  boy.  The  children  and  friends  who  were 
there  to  say  "good-bye,"  crying  and  yelling,  his  old  "black 
mammy"  crying  and  holding  on  to  him;  while  the  old  family 
negroes  were  standing  around,  anxious  to  see  the  last  of  him. 
He  had  faced  the  enemy's  guns,  had  seen  friends  killed  or 
wounded  by  his  side,  but  he  never  was  tried  so  severely  as 
now.  Finally  the  start  was  made.  He  realized  that  he  must 
move  quickly,  or  his  strength  of  will  might  fail.  Giving  the 
little  sorrel  a  pressure  of  the  knee,  he  bounded  off  like  a 
deer,  followed  by  Jim  and  Burton,  also  well  mounted.  The 
negroes  ran  down  to  the  "big  gate,"  hallooing  "Good-bye, 
good-bye."  The  lieutenant  rode  in  advance  of  his  negroes, 
unwilling  to  engage  in  conversation,  which  he  knew  Jim  and 
Burton  would  want  to  do.  Soon  they  arrived  at  the  depot 
and  boarded  the  train  for  Grenada.  Jim  and  Burton  rode  in 
the  car  with  the  horses  and  were  happy,  while  their  young 
master  lived  over  and  over,  and  over  again,  the  scenes  of  the 
past  month.  He  looked  out  of  the  car  window;  he  could 
not  trust  himself  to  talk,  nor  did  he  want  .the  current  of  his 


92  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

thoughts  disturbed.  After  a  night  spent  at  Grenada,  he  took 
the  train  for  Panola,  Miss.,  a  small  town  on  the  Tallahatchie 
river.  Arriving  there  together  with  his  negroes,  he  reported 
to  General  Chalmers,  who  read  the  order,  and  received  him 
with  the  greatest  kindness;  so  much  so,  that  the  lieutenant 
felt  at  home  at  once.  He  realized  that  he  was  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  accomplished  gentleman,  who  would  appreciate 
any  efforts  he  made  to  do  his  duty.  After  the  introduction 
to  the  members  of  his  staff,  the  general  said:  "Lieutenant, 
we  are  expecting  the  enemy  to  make  an  attempt  to  cross  the 
river,  either  here  or  at  some  point  near.  I  want  you  to  take 
charge  of  the  two  guns  just  yonder."  Lieutenant  Bleecker 
said:  "General,  I  have  had  no  experience  in  artillery, 
and"-  But  the  general  mounted  his  horse  at  that  moment, 
and  was  off  at  a  gallop  before  the  sentence  was  finished,  say- 
ing to  Captain  Goodman,  his  adjutant-general:  "Issue  an  or- 
der placing  him  in  command  of  the  section."  So  that  within 
thirty  minutes  after  reporting  for  duty,  Bleecker  was  in  com- 
mand of  a  section  of  artillery,  and  with  a  good  prospect  of 
an  engagement.  He  had  expected,  when  he  left  the  infantry 
service,  that  he  would  see  less  fighting,  but  this  would  indi- 
cate he  might  find  work  in  his  cavalry  experience,  and  so 
subsequent  events  proved.  Very  few  weeks  passed  during 
the  next  two  years  when  there  was  no  fighting.  The  occa- 
sion, however,  was  a  blessing,  because  it  took  his  thoughts 
away  from  home.  Very  soon  General  Chalmers,  on  his 
rounds,  drew  up  at  the  lieutenant's  position,  and  accosted 
him  most  pleasantly,  saying  :  "  Keep  your  eye  open,  lieuten- 
ant, and  make  it  warm  for  them  when  they  come."  The 
lieutenant  was  in  love  with  his  general  from  that  moment. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  93 

Toward  evening,  our  scouts  reported  that  the  enemy  had  re- 
tured  to  Memphis.  The  lieutenant  felt  greatly  relieved,  and 
at  once  sought  the  general,  to  whom  he  explained  his  ig- 
norance of  artillery.  When  he  reported,  he  wore  a  fatigue 
jacket  trimmed  in  red,  which  led  the  general  to  suppose  he 
was  an  artilleryman.  All  hands  laughed  at  the  circumstance. 
The  general  said:  "The  officer  who  should  command  the 
section  is  sick,  and  the  assignment  is  temporary."  In  a  few 
days,  the  lieutenant  was  notified  that  he  would  do  duty  as  a 
member  of  the  general's  staff  in  future.  This  was  pleasant 
news  and  greatly  appreciated,  and  was  quickly  communicated 
to  his  dear  mother,  whom  he  knew  would  be  much  pleased  to 
hear  it. 

The  general's  staff  at  that  time  consisted  of  Captain  W.  A. 
Goodman,  A.  A.  G.;  Major  Andrew  G.  Mills,  Acting  Asst. 
Inspector-Genl.;  Lieutenant  George  T.  Banks,  A.  D.  C.; 
Major  Brodie  S.  Crump,  Commissary;  Captain  A.  D.  Bright, 
A.  A.  A.  G.;  Captain  Samuel  O'Neil,  Quartermaster;  Colonel 
Casey  Young,  A.  D.  C.;  and  Lieutenant  Julius  A.  Taylor,  A. 
D.  C.  Captain  W.  H.  Carroll  commanded  the  escort  com- 
pany, with  C.  T.  Smith  and  Clayton  R.  Jones  as  his  lieuten- 
ants. This  was  indeed  a  happy  and  congenial  circle,  and 
Lieutenant  Bleecker  soon  became  attached  to  all  of  them. 
General  Chalmers  had  formerly  commanded  a  brigade  in 
Bragg's  army,  which  command  distinguished  itself  at  Shiloh, 
at  Murfreesboro,  at  Perryville,  and  other  places.  The  gen- 
eral had  but  recently  been  sent  to  collect  all  the  troops  in 
North  Mississippi,  and  defend  the.  prairie  country  from  de- 
struction by  the  Federals.  This  section  supplied  nearly  all 
our  corn.  Chalmers'  force  at  this  time  was  poorly  equipped, 


94  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

and  only  a  small  portion  organized,  but  the  general  began 
active  steps  to  get  his  organization  perfected,  and  the  men 
well  drilled. 


(The  following  is  copied  from  Hancock's  History  of  the 
Second  Tennessee  Cavalry)  : 

"BRIGADIER-GENERAL  JAMES  RONALD  CHALMERS. 

"J.  R.  Chalmers,  son  of  the  Hon.  Judge  Joseph  W.  Chal- 
mers (who  was  in  the  United  States  Senate  under  Folk's  ad- 
ministration), was  born  in  Halifax* county,  Va.,  on  the  i  ith  of 
January,  1831.  He  is  the  oldest  and  only  survivor  of  seven 
children — four  sons  and  three  daughters.  In  1834  or  1835 
he  removed  with  his  father  to  Jackson,  Tenn.,  and  thence  to 
Holly-Springs,  Marshall  county,  Miss.,  in  1839,  where  he 
was  sent  to  school  and  prepared  for  college,  which  he  entered 
at  Columbia,  S.  C.,  in  September,  1848,  where  he  graduated 
in  December,  1851,  taking  the  second  honor  in  a  class  of 
about  fifteen.  Returning  to  Holly-Springs,  he  at  once  en- 
tered upon  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Barton  &  Chal- 
mers, the  firm  being  composed  of  his  father,  and  the  great 
and  gifted  Roger  Barton.  In  1852  he  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Democratic  Convention  which  nominated  Franklin  Pierce  for 
President.  The  next  year  he  began  to  practice  law  at  Holly- 
Springs,  and  in  1857  he  was  elected  district  attorney  of  the 
Seventh  Judicial  District,  over  several  worthy  and  popular 
competitors.  He  was  soon  recognized  as  one  of  the  ablest 
prosecuting  attorneys  in  the  state,  and  greatly  increased  and 
strengthened  his  popularity.  He  was  a  delegate  from  De 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  95 

Soto  county  to  the  Mississippi  State  Convention,  which  passed 
the  ordinance  of  secession,  in  January,  1861,  and  chairman 
of  the  Military  Committee  in  that  body. 

"The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  elected  colonel  of  the 
Ninth  Mississippi  Regiment  of  infantry,  which  was  the  first 
that  entered  the  Confederate  service  from  that  state.  His 
first  engagement  was  a  successful  attack  upon  Fort  Pickens, 
on  Santa  Rosa  Island,  south  of  Pensacola,  Fla. 

"Chalmers  was  appointed  brigadier-general  on  the  i3th 
of  February,  1862,  and  was  in  command  of  the  forces  that 
drove  Sherman  and  his  gun-boats  back  from  Eastport,  Miss. , 
on  March  the  i2th,  and  thus  saved  Bear  Creek  Bridge  from 
destruction,  and  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad  from 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  At  the  battle  of  Shiloh 
he  commanded  the  extreme  right  brigade,  and  made  the  last 
charge  on  Sunday  that  was  made  by  the  Confederates  on  that 
eventful  day.  Balls  passed  through  his  clothing,  and  his 
horse  was  shot  from  under  him  on  Monday.  When  the  Con- 
federate army  fell  back  to  Tupelo,  Bragg  assigned  Chalmers 
to  a  cavalry  command  for  a  short  time,  but,  having  been  re- 
called to  take  charge  of  his  infantry  brigade,  he  went  with 
Bragg  on  his  Kentucky  campaign.  The  former  made  an 
unsuccessful  attack  upon  Mumfordville,  and  was  compli- 
mented by  the  latter  for  what  he  did.  At  the  battle  of  Mur- 
freesboro,  General  Chambers  was  severely  wounded,  and  be- 
fore he  had  fully  recovered  from  the  effect  of  his  wound,  he 
was 'assigned  by  Bragg  to  the  command  of  the  cavalry  in 
North-western  Mississippi,  at  the  special  request  of  the  gov- 
ernor of  that  state — Pettus. 


96  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

"General  Chalmers  now  went  to  work  in  his  new  field  and 
organized  the  '  squads '  and  companies  into  regiments,  which 
afterward,  under  his  command,  formed  a  prominent  part  in 
that  terrible  column  that  enabled  Forrest  to  perform  his  won- 
drous feats  and  made  his  name  immortal,  causing  him  to  go 
down  the  ages  as  the  '  Wizard  of  the  Saddle.' 

"General  Chalmers  commanded  the  first  division  of  For- 
rest's cavalry  from  January,  1864,  to  the  close  of  the  war,  as 
set  forth  in  the  following  pages  of  this  work,  to  which  I  refer 
the  reader  for  the  balance  of  the  military  career  of  this  gal- 
lant and  noble  officer.  He  accepted  the  terms  of  surrender 
in  good  faith,  and  returned  to  his  home  in  North  Missis- 
sippi, where  he  again  began  the  practice  of  his  profession — 
the  law. 

"In  1872,  he  was  on  the  electoral  ticket  in  Mississippi  for 
Horace  Greeley;  in  1875,  ^e  was  elected  to  the  state  senate; 
and  in  1876,  he  was  elected  to  Congress  from  what  is  known 
as  the  'Shoe-string  District,'  and  again  in  1878  without  op- 
position. In  1880,  he  was  returned  as  elected,  but  was  un- 
seated in  a  contest  by  John  R.  Lynch,  the  Republican  can- 
didate. General  Chalmers  then  removed  from  Vicksburg  to 
Sardis,  Miss.,  and  in  1882,  became  an  independent  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  Congress  against  V.  H.  Manning,  the 
regular  Democratic  nominee,  and  after  a  close,  exciting  can- 
vass, was  elected. 

"As  a  speaker,  General  Chalmers  is  fluent,  bold,  pointed, 
and  fearless.  In  his  style,  he  draws  occasionally  upon  a 
cultivated  and  exuberant  fancy,  but  indulges  more  frequently 
in  pointed  and  racy  anecdote.  As  a  friend,  he  is  sincere, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMY.  97 

true,  and  devoted;  as  an  enemy,  fearless  and  inflexible;  but 
at  all  times  just  and  generous,  as  ready  to  atone  for  a  wrong, 
when  he  is  convinced  that  he  has  committed  one,  as  he  is, 
upon  the  other  hand,  steadfast  and  immovable  when  satisfied 
that  he  is  right." 


98  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

GENERAL  CHALMERS  ORGANIZES  HIS  FORCES — THE  FIGHT  AT 
COLDWATER  RlVER — GALLANT  CONDUCT  OF  COLONEL 
McCuLLocH — CAPTAIN  CARROLL  GIVES  McCuLLOCH  A 
DINING — GALLANT  CONDUCT  OF  MAJOR  GRANT  WILSON 
OF  THE  FEDERAL  ARMY. 

The  weather  had  been  very  favorable  for  the  past  month. 
Every  company  was  drilled  daily,  and  battalion  drill  twice  a 
week  was  the  order.  With  the  exception  of  the  Second  Mis- 
souri, Willis'  Texas  Battalion,  the  Second  Arkansas,  and  two 
companies  of  the  Seventh  Tennessee,  the  troops  were  "green," 
composed  mostly  of  boys  under  and  men  over  military  age. 
The  boys  and  their  horses  soon  acquired  most  of  the  im- 
portant movements,  but  the  old  men  knew  no  more  about 
drill  at  the  end  of  two  months  than  at  the  beginning.  Neither 
did  their  horses.  It  was  really  amusing  to  watch  them.  The 
old  men  could  not  distinguish  between  column  right  and  right 
forward  fours  right.  They  had  their  horses  equally  confused. 
You  could  depend  upon  it  with  almost  absolute  certainty, 
when  marching  in  line,  and  the  command  fours  right  was 
given,  half  of  them  would  wheel  to  the  left.  The  general, 
however,  persevered  with  wonderful  patience,  and,  by  sand- 
wiching the  boys  and  old  men,  succeeded  in  directing  the 
new  commands  very  well.  Before,  however,  the  organization 
was  complete,  General  Mower,  with  a  division  of  infantry, 
cavalry,  and  artillery,  was  arranging  to  leave  Memphis. 
General  Chalmers  was  advised  of  his  movement  through 


AY   THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  99 

Henderson's  scouts,  and  ordered  Colonel  Bob  McCulloch, 
of  the  Second  Missouri,  with  his  own  regiment,  Willis'  Texas 
Battalion,  two  small  pieces  of  artillery,  and  the  two  com- 
panies of  the  Seventh  Tennessee,  to  move  toward  Memphis 
and  impede  the  advance  of  Mower  as  best  he  could. 

Colonel  McCulloch  moved  from  Panola  direct  to  Como, 
and  found  that  the  Federals  in  large  numbers  were  approach- 
ing Coldwater  river.  McCulloch  determined  to  give  Mower 
all  the  trouble  possible  while  crossing  the  little  river.  He 
made  no  halt  at  Como,  but  hurried  on  to  meet  the  enemy. 
The  balance  of  our  command  was  distributed  along  the  Tal- 
lahatchie  river,  at  Wyatt,  Abbeville,  and  Rocky  Ford,  guard- 
ing the  crossings.  General  Chalmers  sent  couriers  with  or- 
ders to  those  commands  to  cross  the  river  at  once  and  meet 
him  at  Como.  The  general,  his  staff,  and  escort  company 
reached  Como  about  noon,  where  he  awaited  the  arrival  of 
the  troops,  numbering  about  one  thousand  men  all  told. 
McCulloch  had  under  his  command  about  seven  hundred 
men ;  total,  seventeen  hundred.  Colonel  Slemons,  with  the 
Second  Arkansas,  was  the  first  to  reach  Como.  The  general 
moved  at  once  with  his  command  to  the  support  of  McCul- 
loch. The  Federals  about  the  same  time  began  to  cross 
Coldwater  river  under  cover  of  artillery  fire.  McCulloch 
came  in  view  just  as  the  first  boat  reached  the  south  bank, 
and,  though  exposed  to  a  heavy  fire  from  artillery,  dashed 
recklessly  at  them  with  the  Second  Missouri  and  Willis'  Texas 
Battalion,  capturing  the  boat  and  all  on  it.  This  charge  as- 
tonished the  enemy,  but  he  soon  recovered.  Then  a  furious 
fight  began  across  the  river.  General  Mower  made  several 
other  attempts  to  cross,  but  we  defeated  him  in  each  instance. 


100  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

His  plans,  however,  had  been  well  conceived.  At  the  time 
he  left  Memphis  with  his  division,  via  Hernando,  he  ordered 
General  Hatch,  with  his  brigade  of  cavalry  and  four  pieces 
of  artillery,  to  move  from  Collierville  to  cut  off  General 
Chalmers,  whom  he  concluded  would  advance  from  Panola 
to  meet  him.  The  promptness  and  rapidity  of  McCulloch's 
movement  staggered  him,  and  caused  him  to  pause  and  con- 
sider. He  had  not  supposed  he  would  meet  any  resistance 
farther  north  than  Sardis.  The  two  regiments  from  Abbe- 
ville and  VVyatt  reached  us  about  nine  p.  M.,  but  we  heard 
nothing  from  Major  Alex.  Chalmers,  who,  with  four  compa- 
nies, had  been  guarding  the  crossing  at  Rocky  Ford.  Soon 
after  going  into  camp,  scouts  reported  that  a  force  of  two 
thousand  cavarly,  under  General  Hatch,  was  encamped  six 
miles  to  the  east  of  us.  These  troops  had  heard  the  cannon- 
ading in  the  evening,  and  expected  to  reach  our  rear  early 
the  following  morning.  At  daylight  we  were  in  the  saddle. 
General  Hatch  had  a  large  force,  much  better  equipped,  al- 
most in  our  rear,  and  General  Mower  a  division  in  our  front. 
Our  future  status  was  exceedingly  uncertain,  but  the  troops 
depended  on  General  Chalmers,  and  he  brought  them  around 
safely.  When  the  command  had  mounted,  the  general 
moved  south  toward  Como  until  we  reached  a  woods.  Pass- 
ing through  to  the  east,  we  came  into  the  road  by  which 
Hatch  was  moving  just  as  his  column  had  passed  by,  so  that 
instead  of  Hatch  gaining  our  rear  we  were  in  his,  and  ready 
to  give  him  a  brush.  The  men  felt  better  and  the  troops 
were  anxious  to  try  conclusions.  Immediately  Major  Chal- 
mers, with  his  battalion,  came  in  sight,  and  we  were  equally- 
glad  to  see  each  other.  He  explained  to  the  general  that 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  101 

soon  after  leaving  Rocky  Ford  he  met  Hatch,  who  cut  him 
off  from  a  direct  route  to  Como,  and  he  decided  to  dog  his 
rear  rather  than  incur  the  delay  of  a  long  ride  to  the  south. 
He  captured  a  nurriber  of  men  and  horses.  General  Chal- 
mers determined  to  attack  Hatch,  and  ordered  Major  Chal- 
mers to  press  him,  which  he  did  with  considerable  success, 
capturing  a  large  number  of  negroes,  mules,  and  cattle, 
which  Hatch  had  taken  from  the  people  along  his  line  of 
march.  Hatch  would  make  no  fight,  but  retreated  to  the 
Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad.  Mower  returned  to 
Memphis  via  Hernando.  Reaching  the  latter,  they  set  fire 
to  every  vacant  house  and  all  public  buildings  in  the  town. 
The  place  was  nearly  destroyed.  Hernando  was  General 
Chalmers'  home,  and  his  wife  was  then  living  there.  Mrs. 
Chalmers  at  that  time  was  in  ill-health,  and  being  notified 
that  her  house  would  be  fired,  she  sent  for  the  officer  who 
gave  the  information,  and  apprised  him  of  her  helpless  condi- 
tion. He  stated  he  had  no  discretion  in  the  matter ;  she  must 
get  out.  She  asked  if  there  was  an  officer  near  who  had  au- 
thority, but  received  no  satisfactory  reply.  Her  faithful  ne- 
gro servant  determined  to  save  the  house  if  possible,  and 
went  out  begging  the  Federal  officers  wherever  she  found 
them  to  spare  her  mistress  the  house.  Finally,  Major  Grant 
Wilson  heard  her  pleadings,  rode  to  the  house,  and  drove 
every  rascal  away.  He  ordered  a  guard  to  protect  the  prop- 
erty, and  tendered  his  services  to  Mrs.  Chalmers  in  any  ca- 
pacity desired.  Major  Wilson,  of  course,  won  the  undying 
gratitude  and  respect  of  Mrs.  Chalmers,  and  placed  the  gen- 
eral under  an  obligation  which  he  can  never  fully  repay. 
General  Chalmers  wrote  him  a  letter  thanking  him  for  his 


102  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

consideration,  and  received  a  reply  stating  that  there  was  no 
obligation— he  was  not  in  the  service  to  burn  houses  and 
make  war  on  helpless  women. 

Major  Wilson  afterward  became  General  Wilson.  During 
one  of  General  Chalmers'  terms  in  Congress  he  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  him  again,  when  a  very  warm  friendship 
was  formed,  and  continues  to  this  day.  General  Wilson  is 
now  an  Episcopal  clergyman. 

This  little  fight  at  Coldwater  was  a  brilliant  affair.  Gen- 
eral Chalmers,  with  about  twelve  hundred  men  and  two 
pieces  of  inferior  artillery,  defeated  a  well-equipped  army  of 
not  less  than  five  thousand  men  and  twelve  pieces  of  artil- 
lery, forcing  them  back  to  Memphis.  Two  companies  were 
sent  to  follow  the  enemy  and  keep  posted  on  his  movements. 
General  Chalmers  in  a  few  days  went  into  camp  at  Como 
with  the  entire  force.  This  was  about  the  last  of  July, 
1863. 

Colonel  Monroe  Wallace,  with  a  large  number  of  his  ne- 
groes, horses,  mules,  etc.,  had  left  his  beautiful  home  near 
Como  to  seek  a  place  of  safety  in  Georgia  or  in  South  Car- 
olina, his  native  state.  He  had  personally  returned  to  look 
after  his  affairs,  and  when  we  went  into  camp  at  Como  he  in- 
vited General  Chalmers  to  occupy  his  house  as  his  head- 
quarters. It  was  a  lovely  home,  beautifully  furnished,  the 
beds  supplied  with  snowy  linen  sheets  and  soft  lamb's  wool 
blankets,  big,  fat,  feather  pillows  and  bolsters,  the  smoke 
house  was  well  stocked  with  home  cured  meat,  and  a  large 
drove  of  fine  fat  turkeys  roamed  the  lot.  All  of  these  the 
colonel  told  us  to  enjoy.  There  was  no  string  to  the  in- 
vitation. Colonel  Wallace  belonged  to  that  class  of  South- 


AV  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  103 

ern  gentlemen  who  dispensed  true  hospitality.  His  manner 
was  courtly,  and  his  attentions  were  pleasing  without  being 
effusive.  He  had  been  educated  in  the  school  of  polite  and 
cultivated  society.  If  it  was  necessary  to  give  up  his  carriage 
horses,  he  would  surrender  them  gracefully,  and,  to  all  ap- 
pearances, willingly.  He  was  a  typical  Southerner.  He 
bade  us  good-bye,  and  left  his  old  cook,  "Aunt  Jenny,"  and 
his  body  servant,  "  Uncle  Steve,"  with  instructions  to  do  the 
best  they  could  for  us.  We  had  turkey  and  lye  hominy,  ham 
and  fat  biscuits,  sweet  potatoes  and  butter.  We  had  turkey 
hash  every  morning,  though  there  was  not  a  scrap  of  turkey 
left  from  dinner.  Several  days  were  passed  like  a  dream. 
The  party  embraced  the  general  and  his  entire  staff,  hereto- 
fore named,  and  Captain  W.  H.  Carroll,  commanding  the 
escort. 

Frequent  discussions  were  had  about  the  gallant  little  fight 
at  Coldwater.  Captain  Carroll  said  General  Chalmers  had  a 
habit  of  going  into  places  where  it  was  terribly  hot,  and,  fur- 
thermore, seemed  never  to  be  entirely  satisfied  unless  his 
(Carroll's)  company  was  in  the  hottest  places  on  the  line. 
He  argued  with  great  earnestness  and  said  he  thought  an 
escort  company  should  be  held  more  as  a  reserve.  General 
Chalmers  entered  into  our  discussions  on  perfect  equality  with 
the  others,  and  was  without  doubt  among  the  most  courteous 
as  well  as  the  most  companionable  of  men.  He  wanted 
nothing  which  he  could  not  divide  with  his  staff,  and  he  treated 
them  as  his  equals  in  every  particular.  Carroll  contended 
that  the  charge  on  the  enemy  at  Coldwater,  made  by  Colonel 
McCulloch,  with  the  Second  Missouri,  was  the  most  gal- 
lant he  ever  saw,  and  he  proposed  to  emphasize  his  opinion 


104  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

by  inviting  Colonel  McCulloch  to  a  dining  at  our  house. 
He  rode  over  to  McCulloch's  headquarters,  and  extended  the 
invitation.  The  day  was  set,  and  "Aunt  Jenny"  and 
"  Uncle  Steve  "  were  told  of  the  importance  of  having  the 
dinner  up  to  the  standard.  After  "Aunt  jenny"  signified 
her  understanding,  Carroll  discussed  the  occasion  with  the 
general  and  members  of  the  staff,  except  Captain  Bright  and 
Lieutenant  Bleecker,  whom  he  missed,  probably  on  account 
of  an  oversight.  He  referred  to  it  as  a  banquet,  worthy  to 
be  compared  to  the  feasts  which  in  the  olden  times  were 
spread  before  the  kings.  His  whole  soul  was  occupied  in 
the  work.  He  had  undertaken  to  show  honors  to  a  deserv- 
ing and  distinguished  officer. 

The  day  before  the  dinner  was  to  come  off,  Captain  Bright 
inquired  of  Lieutenant  Bleecker  if  he  had  been  invited  to 
Carroll's  dinner.  The  lieutenant  replied  in  the  negative. 
Bright  said:  "Keep  perfectly  quiet,  and  I  will  secure  you 
an  invitation.  I  understand  it  will  be  a  conspicuous  occasion, 
and  you  must  be  there."  The  day  arrived.  The  general 
and  his  staff  made  their  toilets  with  more  than  ordinary  care. 
It  was  an  ideal  day,  one  of  those  glorious  balmy  days,  laden 
with  autumn's  rich  content,  and  the  air  was  perfumed  with 
delightful  odors.  The  world  smiled  on  Carroll,  and  he  was 
in  a  gay  and  happy  mood.  As  soon  as  breakfast  was  over, 
he  sought  "Aunt  Jenny,"  to  inquire  about  the  preparations. 
She  said:  "  Lord,  Mister  Carroll,  I  aynt  gwine  cook  no  big 
dinner."  Carroll  was  shocked  and  stunned,  and  demanded 
an  explanation.  "Aunt  Jenny"  told  him  that  "Mister 
Bright  dun  got  a  letter  from  marster,  an',  an'  he  said  he  dun 
change  he  mind,  he  dun  give  the  house  over  to  Mr.  Bright, 
cluden'  of  the  turkeys,  the  hams,  the  coffee,  and  every  thing, 


AV  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMY.  -  105 

and,  furtliestmore,  Mr.  Bright  dun  told  me  not  to  kill  no  more 
of  his  turkeys,  ner  bile  no  more  of  his  hams,  and  Ise  gwine 
to  mind  my  marster,  ceptin'  God  doan  spare  me."  Bright 
saw  Carroll  talking  to  "Aunt  Jenny,"  and  walked  down  to 
the  stables  so  that  Carroll  could  not  find  him.  Carroll  soon 
had  all  the  army  niggers  hunting  for  him.  It  was  a  serious 
situation,  he  had  talked  so  confidently  of  his  ability  to  make 
the  day  pleasant;  he  would  preside  and  do  the  honors,  etc., 
but  the  hour  of  despair  had  arrived.  Finally,  Bright  was 
found;  Carroll  poured  out  great  volumes  of  invectives  at 
him ;  it  came  forth  like  smoke  out  of  a  chimney.  Bright 
took  it  calmly,  and  after  Carroll  had  exhausted  his  cauldron 
of  sulphur  and  fire,  quietly  asked:  "What  on  the  earth  is 
the  matter  with  you,  Bill?"  He  pretended  to  know  nothing 
of  the  intended  compliment  to  Colonel  McCulloch.  Carroll 
replied:  "We  have  talked  about  nothing  else  for  a  week." 
Bright  said:  "You  have  not  talked  to  Lieutenant  Bleecker 
nor  me."  Then  it  dawned  on  Carroll,  and  he  extended  to 
both  the  most  pressing  invitation  to  be  present.  Bright  gave 
"Aunt  Jenny"  permission  to  kill  the  turkey  and  cook  every 
thing  else  desired  to  make  the  dinner  worthy  of  the  guest. 

Then,  addressing  Carroll,  Bright  began  to  quote  him 
Scripture.  He  said:  "Bill,  Joshua  attempted  the  unrea- 
sonable, and  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down ;  Abraham  and 
David  attempted  unreasonable  things,  and  they  failed,  too ; 
you  can  not  expect  to  leave  Bleecker  and  me  out  when  the 
dinner  bell  rings;  that  would  be  unreasonable."  It  is  suffi- 
cient to  say  that  the  dinner  was  a  success,  and  none  enjoyed 
it  more  than  Bright.  Carroll  began  at  once  to  plan  for  re- 
venge, and  he  got  it,  as  we  will  explain  further  on. 


106  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  MEN  TAUGHT  HOW  TO  JERK  BEEF — COLONEL  YOUNG 
AND  "THE  COLT" — GALLANT  CONDUCT  OF  MAJOR 
CHALMERS — NARROW  ESCAPE  OF  GENERAL  SHERMAN. 

General  Chalmers  moved  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Talla- 
hatchie,  and  made  his  headquarters  at  Moss'  Mill.  He  was 
advised  by  Henderson's  scouts  that  troops  were  moving  from 
Memphis  to  reinforce  the  Federal  army  at  Chattanooga. 
He  determined  to  cut  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad 
at  several  points,  and  began  getting  his  command  in  readi- 
ness. Our  commissary  was  confined  to  meal  and  beef; 
there  was  no  bacon  to  be  had,  so  the  general  decided  to  send 
his  men  to  cooking  school  to  learn  how  to  cure  beef.  Willis' 
Texas  Battalion,  some  two  hundred  men,  were  experts  in  the 
art  of  curing  beef,  as  well  as  in  charging  the  enemy.  The 
general  requested  Colonel  Willis  to  detail  a  number  of  his 
men  to  go  among  the  other  commands  and  teach  them  how 
to  jerk  beef.  A  day  was  devoted  to  the  work  with  success. 

The  men  soon  caught  the  idea  and  saw  the  benefits,  and  for 
the  remainder  of  the  war,  wherever  General  Chalmers' 
division  camped,  forks  and  poles  could  be  seen  with  little 
dabs  of  beef  hanging  on  them  over  a  smoke.  Oftentimes 
dried  beef  proved  a  boon  to  our  men.  It  could  be  carried 
for  days  and  weeks,  and  did  not  require  cooking.  The 
writer  remembers  on  many  occasions  seeing  the  men  while 
on  the  march  munching  the  jerked  beef  without  bread, 


7.V   THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  107 

/ 

joking  each  other,  and  inviting  citizens  along  the  route  to 

"come  in  and  have  dinner,  etc."  On  one  occasion  we 
were  on  the  march  through  a  sparcely  settled  country,  where 
it  was  impossible  to  get  any  thing.  The  general  and  his 
staff  camped  under  a  big  oak  the  previous  evening  without 
supper,  and  departed  in  the  morning  without  breakfast. .  We 
rode  along  silent  as  the  grave,  except  the  patter,  patter  of  the 
horses'  feet,  and  the  rattle  of  the  spurs  and  sabers.  The 
escort  company  followed,  but  they  were  as  gay  as  red 
birds  in  spring.  They  carried  in  their  saddle  pockets  good 
sized  "hunks"  of  jerked  beef.  The  sallies  and  jests  of  the 
boys  did  not  improve  the  situation.  We  felt  no  better, 
because  of  their  being  happy.  We  rode  forward  in  silence ; 
not  a  word  was  spoken.  Finally,  we  overtook  the  Second 
Missouri.  Lieutenant  Dick  Eubanks  rode  at  the  head  of  his 
company.  As  we  passed,  Eubanks  said:  "General,  stop 
and  eat  breakfast  with  me."  The  general  turned  his  horse 
quick  as  thought  and  rode  back  to  him,  said:  "Ah!  Lieu- 
tenant, you  please  me  greatly,"  at  the  same  time  reaching 
for  Eubanks'  hunk  of  beef,  which  was  given  with  apparent 
liberal  hospitality.  But,  as  the  general  rode  off,  Eubanks 
exclaimed  in  a  low  tone  :  "  May  the  saints  forgive  me  !  Did 
you  ever  see  a  fellow  lose  three  days  rations  so  easily  as 
that  ?  ''  This  remark  of  Dick  Eubanks,  who  was  a  splendid 
specimen  of  Southern  manhood,  as  well  as  a  brave  and  de- 
voted soldier,  brought  forth  a  great  laugh.  While  in  camp 
at  Moss'  Mill,  the  headquarters  "  niggers''  were  told  to  get 
every  thing  in  readiness,  and  be  certain  to  have  a  supply  of 
jerked  beef  well  salted.  We  had  quite  a  number  of  them. 
Wallace  belonged  to  the  general,  Hage  to  Lieutenant  Banks, 


108          PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Boston  to  Major  Mills,  George  to  Major  Chalmers,  Jim  and 
Burton  to  Lieutenant  Bleecker,  and  Uncle  Bedney  to  Colonel 
Young.  Uncle  Bedney,  George  and  Jim  were  very  re- 
ligious, while  Wallace,  Burton,  Hage  and  Boston  were  not. 
Jim  was  our  cook.  He  had  authority  to  detail  either  of  the 
others  to  assist  him  whenever  he  needed  an  assistant,  and  he 
complained  that,  since  reaching  Moss'  Mill,  he  could  get 
neither  Wallace,  Burton,  Hage,  nor  Boston.  They  were 
called  up  and  asked  about  it.  Each  said  they  were  husy 
getting  the  horses  in  good  condition  and  polishing  the  spurs, 
sabers,  etc.  The  following  morning  the  general  ordered 
Lieutenant  Bleecker  to  see  each  colonel  during  the  day,  re- 
questing them  to  meet  at  his  headquarters  for  advice.  He 
called  on  Uncle  Bedney  to  go  down  to  the  stable  and  to  tell 
Burton  to  bring  out  his  horse.  Uncle  Bedney  said  :  "  Dat 
horse  aynt  fitten  to  travel,  he  aynt  been  fed  yit,"  and  on 
being  asked  why,  replied:  "  dem  niggers  aynt  cum  home 
yit." 

Lieutenant  Bleecker  walked  down  to  the  stable  and  found, 
as  stated  by  Uncle  Bedney,  that  the  horses  had  not  been  fed. 
But  he  heard  quarreling  going  on  up  in  the  loft.  He  climbed 
up  the  ladder,  and  found  them  in  a  game  of  seven-up,  which 
they  had  been  playing  all  night  by  a  dim  tallow  candle.  It 
did  not  take  long  to  close  the  game  after  Bleecker  found 
them.  Going  back  to  camp,  he  told  the  story.  Uncle  Bed- 
ney said,  "I  knowed  it,  I  knowed  it,  I  dun  told  em  day  would 
sho  git  ketched."  Major  Chalmers  asked  Uncle  Bedney 
why  he  had  not  reported  on  the  niggers.  Said  :  "  Oh,  Mars 
Ham,  it's  bad  luck,  it's  bad  luck  to  port  on  folks  playing 
cards.  Deed  'tis,  sir!  deed  'tis,  sir!"  Colonel  Young, 


IN  THE   CONFEDERA  TE  AJRMT.  109 

Uncle  Bedney's  master,  had  been  absent  for  two  weeks  on 
leave,  and  returned  while  we  camped  at  the  mill.  He 
brought  a  new  horse  with  him.  (Now  this  is  a  true  story.) 
He  was  the  largest  horse  we  ever  saw.  The  writer  has 
traveled  from  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  to  Palm  Beach,  Florida, 
since  that  time ;  he  has  drank  water  from  the  source  of  the 
San  Antonia,  and  has  seen  thousands  of  horses,  but  not  one 
of  them  approached  in  size  the  one  Colonel  Young  rode  into 
camp  at  Moss'  Mill.  The  colonel  said  he  was  a  colt,  and 
always  referred  to  him  as  "the  colt."  He  was  a  straw- 
berry roan.  The  writer  was  at  that  time  but  a  boy,  and  the 
impressions  made  upon  the  mind  at  his  then  age  are  different 
from  those  made  on  the  mind  of  a  maturer  person,  but  his 
recollection  of  the  colt  is,  that  he  was  as  high  as  the  second 
story  of  the  mill,  and  at  this  day,  thirty-two  years  since  that 
time,  he  can  not  change  the  opinion.  The  day  after  Colonel 
Young  reached  the  mill,  we  were  guessing  on  the  colt's 
height.  "  Boston,"  on  being  asked  for  his  opinion,  said, 
"I  nose,  I  dun  measure  him.  He's  thirty-five  foot  high." 
Uncle  Bedney  would  lead  him  alongside  of  a  tree,  and  then 
climb  the  tree  in  order  to  curry  his  back.  We  never  found 
a  stable  door  or  a  gin-house  high  enough  for  him  to  get  under 
during  the  war.  Whenever  we  broke  camp,  we  left  Colonel 
Young  behind  trying  to  mount  the  colt.  If  there  was  not  a 
high  fence  about,  he  would  lead  him  until  he  found  a  sapling 
which  he  could  climb ;  but,  after  he  once  mounted,  he  had 
no  trouble  keeping  up,  for  the  colt  could  walk  as  fast  as  the 
other  horses  could  trot. 

A  few  weeks  before  we  camped  at  Moss'  Mill,  a  man  re- 
ported to  General  Chalmers  offering  his   services   as   a   spy. 


110  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

He  had  good  references  from  several  Confederate  generals, 
including  General  Price.  He  claimed  that  he  would  be  able 
to  enter  the  enemy's  lines  at  will,  having  a  paper  from  Gen- 
eral Hurlbut  passing  him  at  all  times.  He  made  several 
trips  into  Memphis,  but  the  information  be  brought  amounted 
to  nothing.  He  gave  his  name  as  Pearson.  General 
Chalmers  was  suspicious  of  him,  and  decided  to  deceive  him 
as  to  the  point  he  intended  to  attack  on  the  Memphis  and 
Charleston  Railroad.  He  therefore  told  him  that  he  would 
move  against  Corinth.  "Why,"  said  Pearson,  "it  would  be 
impossible  to  take  Corinth  with  your  force."  "But,"  said 
the  general,  "  I  am  only  supposed  to  cover  General  Loring's 
division  of  infantry ;  he  is  moving  on  Corinth  from  Mobile, 
and  we  can  defeat  any  force  which  can  be  moved  there  from 
the  near  garrisons."  Pearson  left  us  with  this  information 
on  his  mind,  and  on  September  yth,  we  marched  toward 
Holly  Springs.  Arriving  there,  we  spent  the  night,  and  the 
following  day  moved  toward  La  Grange,  which  was  in  the 
direction  of  Corinth.  Pearson  had  ample  time  to  advise 
General  Hurlbut,  which  he  did,  as  events  proved.  General 
Chalmers'  force  consisted  of  the  Second  Missouri,  Willis' 
Texas  Battalion,  Seventh  Tennessee,  Third  Mississippi, 
Second  Arkansas,  Major  A.  H.  Chalmers'  Mississippi  Bat- 
talion, and  two  small  pieces  of  artillery,  about  1,600  men 
all  told. 

Just  before  we  reached  Salem,  the  scouts  reported  a  strong 
cavalry  force  at  that  place.  It  was  evident  the  enemy  be- 
lieved General  Chalmers  was  moving  on  to  Corinth,  and  the 
force  was  sent  to  meet  him.  This  Federal  force  consisted  of 
five  regiments  of  cavalry  and  two  batteries  of  artillery,  all 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  \\\ 

under  command  of  Colonel  Crellis,  and  numbered  three 
thousand  men,  according  to  Colonel  Crellis'  own  statement. 
There  were  two  roads  leading  to  Salem,  one  from  Grand 
Junction,  and  the  other  from  Holly  Springs,  which  converged 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill  before  reaching  the  little  town.  We 
approached  by  the  road  from  Holly  Springs.  The  angle 
formed  by  the  convergence  of  the  roads  was  covered  with 
woods.  Major  Chalmers  was  ordered  to  bring  on  the  fight. 
His  battalion  of  six  companies  rested  near  the  intersection 
of  the  roads.  The  enemy's  guns  were  making  the  woods 
rattle.  Lieutenant  Bleecker  carried  the  order  to  Major  Chal- 
mers, and  saw  his  men  advance.  The  horses  were  left  in 
the  woods,  and  the  men  took  their  places  in  line.  Major 
Chalmers  was  riding  a  very  pretty  bay  horse,  and  as  he  passed 
along,  gave  the  order,  "Forward!"  Just  at  that  moment  a 
shell  exploded  immediately  in  front  of  the  line,  killing  the 
color  bearer,  the  flag  falling  to  the  ground.  Major  Chalmers 
rode  to  the  colors,  and,  leaning  down  without  dismounting, 
caught  them  up.  Most  of  his  men  had  seen  very  little  serv- 
ice; a  majority  of  them  were  boys  under  eighteen.  The 
shell,  therefore,  created  some  confusion  among  them,  but 
when  the  major  waived  the  flag  above  his  head,  and  called 
on  them  to  follow,  they  gave  a  yell  and  rallied  to  the  colors. 
Major  Chalmers  was  by  nature  a  handsome  man,  but  he  was 
a  picture  for  an  artist  as  he  rode  the  little  bay  up  the  hill 
facing  the  enemy's  lines,  with  that  flag  above  him.  Shot  and 
shell  filled  the  air  with  shrieks  and  other  wicked  sounds,  but 
they  did  not  check  the  boys.  Nothing  could  stop  them  as 
long  as  the  major  waved  the  flag.  The  general,  seeing  the 
rush  of  the  Mississippi  boys,  moved  the  command  rapidly  to 


112  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

their  support,  and  within  five  minutes  the  entire  force  was 
engaged.  Salem  was,  and  is  yet,  only  a  small  country  vil- 
lage, but  things  were  lively  there  that  day.  A  few  minutes 
after  the  two  lines  met  face  to  face,  Colonel  McCulloch,  with 
the  Second  Missouri  and  Seventh  Tennessee,  mounted,  sought 
the  enemy's  flank.  The  general  had  strong  hopes  of  captur- 
ing a  good  part  of  them,  but,  before  McCulloch  could  gain 
the  rear,  they  fell  back,  mounted  their  horses,  and  left  us  in 
possession  of  their  dead  and  wounded.  Night  came  on,  and 
the  pursuit  was  abandoned.  A  detail  was  left  to  bury  the 
dead  and  care'  for  the  wounded  of  both  sides,  and  we  rode 
rapidly  back  to  Holly  Springs.  As  General  Chalmers  be- 
lieved, Pearson  was  a  Yankee  spy ;  he  gave  General  Hurlbut 
information  that  Chalmers  would  attack  Corinth.  As  proof 
of  this,  reinforcements  were  sent  to  Corinth.  We  remained 
a  few  hours  at  Holly  Springs,  then  marched  to  Collierville. 
Major  Mitchell,  with  two  companies  of  Major  Chalmers'  bat- 
talion, was  sent  to  cut  the  railroad  east  of  Collierville,  and 
Major  Cousins,  of  the  Second  Missouri,  with  two  companies, 
was  ordered  to  do  the  same  on  the  west  side,  to  prevent  any 
reinforcements  from  reaching  the  garrison.  We  arrived 
within  two  miles  of  the  station  about  daylight.  Our  advance 
guard  captured  the  Yankee  outpost,  and,  as  soon  as  the  pris- 
oners were  turned  over,  made  a  dash  at  the  inner  guards, 
who,  however,  discovered  our  men  in  time  to  escape  and 
give  the  alarm.  We  moved  forward  at  a  gallop.  Colonel 
McGuirk,  with  the  Third  Mississippi,  was  ordered  to  go  in 
the  rear  of  the  fort,  and  attack  from  that  point,  while  the 
balance  of  the  command  would  advance  from  the  south. 
McGuirk  reached  his  place  promptly,  and  found  that  the  two 


IN  THE  CONFEDERAJ^E  ARM  I'.  113 

Illinois  regiments,  Seventh  and  Eighth,  had  gone,  leaving  a 
lot  of  dismounted  men  in  camp.  These  dismounted  men, 
about  one  hundred,  ran  in  every  direction.  It  was  just  after 
daylight,  and  the  attack  was  a  perfect  surprise  to  them. 
Some  of  McGuirk's  men  began  to  chase  the  fugitives  on  foot, 
while  others  dismounted  and  began  to  go  through  the  tents. 
General  Chalmers'  plan  was  for  McGuirk  to  charge  the  rear 
of  the  fort  simultaneously  with  his  attack  in  front.  We 
formed  line,  and  moved  through  the  woods  to  a  point  about 
four  hundred  yards  from  the  fort,  and  waited  for  McGuirk. 
Our  skirmish  line  was  hotly  engaged;  the  enemy,  using  ar- 
tillery, threw  shells  high  above  and  beyond  us.  General 
Chalmers,  growing  impatient,  sent  Lieutenant  Banks  to  order 
the  Third  Mississippi  to  the  attack.  A  moment  afterward,  a 
long  train  of  freight  cars  rolled  into  the  station  from  Mem- 
phis, from  which  the  Thirteenth  Regulars  disembarked  and 
ran  into  the  fort.  We  knew,  of  course,  that  Major  Cousins 
had  failed  to  cut  the  road  on  the  west,  as  ordered,  otherwise 
the  train  could  not  have  passed  him.  General  Chalmers 
knew  that  any  further  delay  would  be  ruinous,  and,  therefore, 
gave  the  order  to  charge.  Our  men  moved  forward  in  fine 
style,  but  were  met  by  a  hot  fire.  They  charged  within  about 
sixty  yards  of  the  fort.  We  could  see  nothing  of  the  enemy 
except  the  tops  of  their  heads.  General  Chalmers  saw  it 
would  be  a  great  sacrifice  to  storm  the  fort,  and,  therefore, 
withdrew  under  cover  of  the  woods,  the  enemy  in  the  mean- 
time shelling  our  position  sharply. 

General  Chalmers'  plans  were  well  laid,  and  had  McGuirk 
charged  the  fort  before  the  arrival  of  the  Thirteenth  Regu- 
lars, instead  of  halting  in  the  cavalry  camp,  the  garrison 


114  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

would,  unquestionably,  have  been  captured.  Or  had  Major 
Cousins  cut  the  road,  as  ordered,  the  Thirteenth  Regulars 
could  not  have  reinforced  the  garrison,  and  in  that  event  we 
would  have  captured  it.  After  the  line  had  fallen  back,  and 
was  resting  in  the  woods,  Lieutenant  Bleecker  was  sent 
to  find  Lieutenant  Banks  and  Colonel  McGuirk.  Arriving 
at  the  point  where  the  rear  of  the  train  rested,  he  noticed  a 
number  of  our  men  in  the  cars  throwing  out  saddles, 
bridles,  blankets,  and  bundles.  Bleecker  dismounted, 
hitched  his  horse  to  a  telegraph  pole,  and  boarded  the  coach 
at  the  end  of  the  train.  He  wanted  some  of  the  plunder. 
The  coach  was  empty,  but  on  the  seat  was  a  handsome 
sword,  which  he  picked  up.  He  ran  out  to  where  the  men 
were  busy  getting  saddles.  In  one  of  the  cars  were  several 
horses.  It  had  not  occurred  to  the  men  that  the  horses 
could  be  gotten  out.  Bleecker  said,  "  Make  them  jump  out," 
and  with  that  he  pulled  himself  into  the  car,  untied  a  fine 
horse,  and  led  him  to  the  door.  After  much  urging  the  horse 
jumped  out.  It  did  not  require  much  time  for  the  boys  to 
get  the  others  out.  With  their  plunder,  they  all  galloped  off 
to  catch  the  command,  which  had  retired  about  a  mile  back, 
where  the  general  waited  in  vain  for  the  Federals  to  follow. 
Through  the  baggage  taken  from  the  cars,  we  discovered 
that  General  Sherman  and  staff  were  passengers  on  the  train. 
We  captured  all  their  personal  baggage.  The  sword  which 
Bleecker  found  had  the  name  of  "  Lieut. -Col.  Ewing,  Gen. 
Sherman's  Staff,"  on  the  cover.  It  was  a  very  handsome 
one.  The  horse  which  Bleecker  captured  was  also  a  fine 
animal,  and  most  likely  was  the  one  ridden  by  General  Sher- 
man. Bleecker  was  very  proud  of  his  horse,  but  his  pride 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  H5 

of  ownership  was  short  lived,  for  the  general  ordered  the 
quartermaster  to  take  charge  of  him,  as  well  as  the  others 
captured. 

As  soon  as  we  ascertained  that  General  Sherman  was  in 
the  fort,  the  failure  was  doubly  regretted.  Barton,  one  of 
Lieutenant  Bleecker's  negroes,  named  the  captured  horse, 
"  Sherman,"  and  often  said  his  "  marster  captured  Old 
Sherman." 

Think  of  the  circumstances  which  make  or  destroy  the 
reputation  or  success  of  a  man  !  Had  McGuirk  moved  on 
and  captured  the  fort,  instead  of  allowing  his  men  to  halt  in 
camp,  or  had  Major  Cousins  cut  the  road,  as  ordered,  Sher- 
man would  almost  certainly  have  been  captured,  and  the  story 
of  the  burning  of  churches,  convents,  and  school-houses,  and 
the  destruction  of  every  thing  to  eat  along  his  line  of  march 
in  Georgia,  without  a  foe  in  his  front,  would  never  have  been 
told,  and  future  generation,  would  not  have  read  how  help- 
less women,  often  sick  and  destitute,  appealed  to  him  to 
spare  their  houses  and  a  few  rations  of  meal,  and  how  con- 
temptuously they  were  pushed  aside.  The  houses  were 
burned  as  well  as  all  their  provisions.  Had  we  captured 
Sherman,  he  never  would  have  had  the  opportunity  to  make 
himself  famous,  and  in  all  probability  he  would  have  been 
in  prison  during  the  balance  of  the  war. 

We  fell  back,  going  south,  and  crossed  the  Coldwater  at 
Ingraham's  Mill. 


PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER   XV. 

FIGHT  AT  Moscow,  TENNESSEE — BRIGHT  PAYS  His  RE- 
SPECTS TO  CARROLL — A  YANKEE  CAVALRYMAN  KILLS 
"UNCLE  STEVE" — A  TEXAN  LASSOES  A  WOMAN. 

On  the  last  of  November,  1863,  General  Chalmers  received 
advice  from  General  S.  D.  Lee  that  General  Forrest,  with  a 
small  force,  would  cross  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Rail- 
road and  go  into  West  Tennessee,  and  desiring  him  to  assist 
Forrest  through.  We  moved  south,  crossing  the  Tallahatchie 
at  Panola.  Orders  were  issued  for  four  days'  rations,  and 
every  thing  was  put  in  readiness  for  a  quick  movement.  It 
had  been  raining  very  hard  for  two  days.  We  crossed  the 
river  at  Rocky  Ford,  and  moved  in  the  direction  of  Grand 
Junction,  to  co-operate  with  General  Lee,  who  left  Okalona 
with  Furguson's  and  Ross'  brigades  about  the  same  time. 
General  Chalmers  advanced  on  La  Grange,  driving  in  the 
enemy's  pickets,  and  threatening  the  garrison,  while  Furgu- 
son  and  Ross  were  gathering  around  Pocahontas.  These 
demonstrations  were  intended  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
enemy,  and  prevent  his  interference  with  the  passage  of  Gen- 
eral Forrest  into  West  Tennessee.  It  was  General  Forrest's 
purpose  to  enlist  all  the  men  he  could  find,  who  were  at  that 
time  within  the  enemy's  lines.  There  were  numbers  who  had 
been  wounded  and  allowed  to  go  home,  but  who,  after  getting 
well,  made  no  effort  to  rejoin  their  commands.  These  men 
belonged  to  the  Army  of  Tennessee  principally.  It  was  a 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  \\1 

desperate  undertaking,  but  Forrest  boldly  marched  into  the 
enemy's  lines  with  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  cross- 
ing the  railroad  at  Saulsbury.  He  remained  at  Jackson 
nearly  a  month,  surrounded  by  about  forty  thousand  of  the 
enemy.  After  the  passage,  General  S.  D.  Lee,  who  was  in 
command  of  all  the  cavalry  in  the  state,  decided  to  make 
further  demonstrations  against  the  gsrrisons  along  the  Mem- 
phis and  Charleston  Railroad.  This  would  prevent  pursuit 
of  Forrest.  Early  on  the  morning  of  December  4th,  he 
moved  with  all  the  command  toward  Moscow,  General  Chal- 
mers, with  McCulloch's  brigade,  taking  the  advance.  Arriv- 
ing at  that  point,  General  Lee  directed  that  McCulloch  should 
attack  from  the  south  on  the  public  road  leading  to  Moscow 
(this  road  crossed  Wolf  river),  and  Ross  was  ordered  to  cap- 
ture and  destroy  the  railroad  bridge  west  of  Moscow.  Chal- 
mers, McCulloch,  Ross,  and  Lee  discussed  the  plan  for  a  few 
minutes,  when  General  Lee  said  :  "Colonel  Ross,  take  the 
bridge.  I  give  you  this  opportunity  to  win  your  spurs " 
(meaning,  of  course,  a  brigadiership).  Ross  dashed  off,  and 
in  a  short  while  was  hotly  engaged.  McCulloch  was  not 
pleased  with  the  remark.  His  commission  as  colonel  was 
older  than  that  of  Ross,  and  he  felt  that  the  sentiment  was  an 
injustice  to  him.  He  left  Missouri  with  his  regiment,  and 
had  made  a  brilliant  reputation.  He  had  fought  all  over  the 
territory  as  far  south  as  Grenada,  neither  his  men  nor  him- 
self ever  failing  to  do  their  duty.  As  he  rode  off  to  make  the 
attack  as  directed,  he  remarked  :  "  He  has  a  chance  to  win  his 
spurs,  but  he  won't  do  it  to-day.  He  won't  burn  the  bridge." 
McCulloch's  brigade  consisted  of  the  Second  Missouri,  Willis' 
Texas  Battalion,  Seventh  Tennessee,  Major  Chalmers'  bat- 


118  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  ETC., 

talion,  and  Hovis'  and  Wisdom's  regiments.  McCulloch  was 
known  as  "Colonel  Black  Bob."  The  lieutenant-colonel  of 
the  Second  Missouri  was  also  named  Robert  McCulloch. 
They  were  cousins.  The  colonel  had  dark  hair  and  beard, 
while  the  lieutenant-colonel  had  red  hair  and  beard,  and 
they  were  known  as  "Colonel  Black  Bob"  and  "Colonel 
Red  Bob."  Nor  was  there  in  the  Confederate  army  two  men 
whose  services  were  given  more  entirely  to  the  cause.  They 
had  dash  and  daring,  and  they  had  the  bravery  of  Forrest, 
yet  they  were  modest  almost  to  a  fault.  Colonel  Black  Bob 
quickly  formed  his  line,  and  advanced  through  the  river  bot- 
tom, driving  in  the  enemy's  skirmishers.  The  roadway  was 
considerably  higher  than  the  ground  on  either  side,  having 
been  raised  from  time  to  time  on  account  of  overflow.  Be- 
hind the  earth  embankment  the  enemy  formed  a  line,  secur- 
ing a  great  advantage.  McCulloch  led  his  men,  dismounted, 
and  moved  through  the  cypress  knees  and  slush,  driving  the 
foe  from  this  favored  position.  He  had  no  hope  of  winning 
spurs,  but  governed  by  that  principle  which  controlled  him  at 
all  times,  he  determined  to  do  his  duty.  The  fight  was  fu- 
rious. The  enemy's  shell  and  grape-shot  shattered  trees  and 
threw  bark  and  limbs  on  all  sides.  As  soon  as  McCulloch 
dislodged  the  enemy  from  behind  the  road-bed,  their  guns 
swept  it.  But  with  that  gallantry  which  always  characterized 
his  men,  they  pushed  on,  driving  the  enemy  to  the  river. 
As  the  last  of  them  were  crossing  the  bridge  on  their  retreat, 
some  of  McCulloch's  men  mixed  with  them  in  a  hand-to-hand 
fight.  McCulloch  lost  many  good  men,  among  whom  was 
his  adjutant,  Captain  Gaines,  a  gallant  and  heroic  officer. 
In  the  meantime,  Ross  had  been  hotly  engaged  at  the  trestle 


7.V  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  H9 

on  the  railroad,  but  did  not  make  any  impression.  He  was 
forced  to  retire  without  burning  the  bridge.  McCulloch  es- 
tablished his  line  as  instructed,  but  on  account  of  Ross'  failure, 
was  ordered  to  fall  back.  We  moved  south  to  Panola,  and 
the  command  was  distributed  along  the  river  at  various  cross- 
ings. 

While  the  fight  at  Moscow  was  not  a  success,  it  accom- 
plished the  object  of  getting  General  Forrest  through  the 
lines,  and  left  the  enemy  in  doubt  about  future  movements. 
We  had  no  other  troops  engaged  at  Moscow,  except  Ross' 
and  McCulloch's  brigades.  After  the  fight  Furguson  was 
sent  back  to  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad.  General  Chal- 
mers, with  his  staff  and  escort,  were  on  the  left  of  McCul- 
loch's line  during  the  fight,  where  he  could  watch  both 
positions.  His  staff  officers  were  going  constantly  with 
orders  and  reporting  back  to  him  the  situation  at  different 
points  during  the  engagement.  He  found  occasion  to  send 
Captain  Carroll,  of  the  escort  company,  with  an  order  to 
Colonel  McCulloch,  "To  drive  the  enemy  from  the  road." 
Things  were  boiling  in  that  cypress  swamp  about  that  time. 
As  Carroll  returned,  he  noticed  Captain  Tom  Henderson, 
of  the  scouts,  sitting  on  his  roan  behind  three  large  Tupelo 
gums,  which  were  near  each  other,  watching  the  enemy's 
line.  Grape  and  cannister  were  playing  inharmonious  tunes 
among  the  trees.  Carroll  was  no  doubt  praying  for,  as  well 
as  seeking,  a  place  of  safety  as  he  rushed  through  the  woods, 
for  he  knew  he  must  go  at  least  a  quarter  before  he  was  out 
of  range.  Seeing  Captain  Henderson  he  turned  his  course 
toward  him,  and  sought  the  partial  shelter  of  the  trees. 
Captain  Bright  soon  afterward  was  sent  by  the  general  to 


120  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

order  Colonel  Hovis  with  his  regiment  to  the  left,  to  meet  a 
movement  from  the  enemy  which  was  intended  to  flank  our 
position.  Bright  rode  from  the  opposite  direction,  of  course, 
and  saw  Carroll  and  Captain  Henderson.  He  went  dashing 
through  the  shot  and  shell  with  bated  breath,  and  the  chances 
were  very  much  in  favor  of  his  never  getting  back.  There 
were  no  accident  insurance  companies  in  those  days.  Bright 
was  a  remarkable  man,  well  named,  and  full  of  fun ;  his 
presence  invariably  inspired  any  crowd  he  was  with.  He 
was  jovial  and  companionable,  as  bright  as  a  new  dollar,  and 
never  had  the  blues  so  far  as  we  knew,  and,  above  all,  he  was 
a  man  of  resources.  He  had  a  good  memory,  and  an  eye 
for  "the  eternal  fitness  of  things."  He  drew  rein,  and  said  : 
"Bill,  General  Lee  directs  that  you  find  Colonel  Hovis 
quickly,  and  order  him  to  take  his  regiment  to  the  left  of 
Colonel  McCulloch's  line,  to  meet  a  flank  movement  of  the 
Yankees ;  he,  also,  desires  you  to  accompany  the  regiment 
on  the  movement."  There  was  no  time  to  parley.  Carroll 
dashed  off  through  the  woods  like  a  rabbit  running  from  a 
burning  sedge  field.  Just  before  reaching  Colonel  Hovis, 
who  was  on  the  right,  he  saw  Captain  Gaines  galloping  in  the 
same  direction.  They  bore  toward  each  other,  but  just  as 
they  were  about  to  meet  Captain  Gaines  was  shot  through 
with  an  ounce  ball  and  fell.  In  a  moment  the  riderless  horse 
was  killed  also.  Carroll  soon  reached  Colonel  Hovis,  and 
together,  the  two  at  the  head  of  the  column,  moved  to  the 
rear  and  around  to  the  left.  General  Chalmers  with  the 
escort  company  was  hotly  engaged  with  the  enemy  when  they 
reached  him.  Carroll  joined  his  company.  The  intended 
flank  movement  was  balked.  That  night,  while  we  sat  around 


IN  THE    CONFEDERATE  RAMT.  121 

the  big  wood  fire,  each  had  his  story  to  tell  of  the  dangers  he 
had  passed  through,  and  all  paid  compliments  to  the  gallant 
fellows  of  McCulloch's  brigade.  Bright  listened  to  Carroll 
as  he  went  over  the  events  of  the  day,  after  which  he  related 
how  he  sent  Carroll  on  the  dangerous  mission.  We  laughed 
at  the  circumstance,  and  all  agreed  that  Bright  was  the 
smartest  man  in  the  party.  Carroll  took  in  every  word.  He 
sat  silently,  and  seemed  to  be  dreaming.  Finally,  he  asked 
Bright:  "Is  that  a  fact?  Didn't  General  Lee  send  that 
order?  Great  Heavens  !  Suppose  I  had  been  killed  ! "  He 
got  up  from  his  seat  on  .the  log  and  walked  over  to  Bright. 
Bright  had  the  most  exasperating  laugh,  and  he  was  giving 
it  to  Carroll  for  all  it  was  worth.  Addressing  him,  Carroll 
said?  "  I  do  not  mind  doing  your  work,  but  I  have  got  all 
I  want  of  that  d — n  laugh."  Bright  replied  :  "  Bill,  you  re- 
member that  dinner  you  gave  to  McCulloch  ? " 

We  remained  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Tallahatchie  until 
December  the  i8th,  when  we  crossed  again  and  moved  in 
the  direction  of  Memphis.  The  move  was  intended  to  pre- 
vent the  enemy  from  sending  any  troops  after  General  For- 
rest. We  reached  Como  on  the  aoth,  and  made  headquarters 
again  at  Colonel  Wallace's.  We  reached  there  at  night,  and 
found  every  thing  in  confusion.  Aunt  Jenny  opened  the 
house  and  did  every  thing  in  her  power  to  make  us  com- 
fortable, but  sad  scenes  had  been  enacted  since  our  last  visit. 
The  place  looked  very  much  as  if  a  cyclone  had  struck  it. 
Aunt  Jenny's  smiles  and  hospitable  manner  had  gone ;  she 
told  us  the  story  between  sobs.  She  said:  "They  killed 
poor  Steve ;  them  hateful  Yankees  killed  him.  Soon  as  you 
all  left  marster's  house,  they  come  galloping  all  around  bout 


122  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

the  place,  shooting  our  calves  and  hogs  and  chickens,  and 
every  thing  they  could  see.  They  rode  their  horses  over 
mistis'  flowers,  and  dun  every  thing  they  could  that  was 
mean.  After  they  dun  all  this  meanness,  they  began  to  cuss 
Steve  and  me.  Steve  told  them  they  did  not  have  any  man- 
ners; that  marster  didn't  have  nary  nigger  but  what  was  bet- 
ter raised  than  them.  Seem  like  they  got  madder  at  Steve. 
They  told  him  to  draw  water  for  their  horses.  Steve  did  n't 
want  to  do  it,  but  he  said  marster  told  him  to  be  polite  to 
every  body  when  they  come  to  the  house,  and  he  went  to 
draw  the  water.  I  am  telling  you  the  truth.  Them  hateful 
Yankees  come  here  to  kill  Steve.  They  called  him  a  da — n 
rebel  nigger.  When  he  samely  draw  the  water  up,  they  took 
the  bucket  and  dashed  it  on  Steve ;  that  made  the  old  man 
mad,  and  he  'lowed  marster  never  had  cussed  him,  neither 
had  he  'bused  him,  and  they  might  kill  him,  but  he  won't 
draw  no  more  water,  and  Steve  did  n't  nuther,  'cause  them 
hateful  Yankees  beat  his  brains  out  with  their  guns,  and  I  'm 
telling  you  the  truth,  they  left  him  lying  in  his  blood  in  the 
mud.  Then  they  got  on  their  horses  and  galloped  around, 
shooting  bullets  in  the  house — you  see  the  holes  in  the  walls 
yourselfs.  They  said  the  next  time  the  rebels  come  to 
marster's  house,  they  was  going  to  burn  it.  There  was  nobody 
on  the  place  but  me,  and  I  say  to  myself,  what  is  marster 
going  to  say  when  he  hears  them  hateful  Yankees  killed 
Steve.  Yes,  sir,  we  buried  him,  but  it  was  nearly  night  be- 
fore any  body  come  along  to  pick  Steve  up.  Mr.  Merri- 
wether  said,  '  Bury  him  in  the  garden,'  so  marster  could  see 
his  grave  when  he  come  home.  I  dread  for  marster  to  come 
home;  he  'pended  mightily  on  Steve;  he  fairly  loved  him. 


A  TEXAN  MAKES  USE  OF  HIS  LASSO. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  123 

I  know  what  mistis  will  do.  Mistis  sho  will  grieve.  She 
begged  marster  to  take  Steve  away."  Aunt  Jenny  told  her 
story  without  pausing  to  catch  her  breath.  It  was  all  like 
one  sentence,  and  when  she  could  say  no  more,  being  over- 
come with  grief,  she  covered  her  face  with  her  apron  and  left 
the  house.  We  were  a  sad  party ;  we  felt  that  Uncle  Steve 
had  lost  his  life  because  of  his  attentions  to  us. 

We  remained  at  Como  until  the  day  before  Christmas,  when 
we  moved  around  Memphis  toward  Germantown.  General 
Chalmers  had  been  advised  that  General  Forrest,  with  a  large 
lot  of  cattle  and  horses,  would  attempt  to  return  to  our  lines. 
He  recruited  about  a  thousand  men,  whom  he  was  bringing 
out  also,  but  none  of  them  had  guns.  General  Forrest 
crossed  near  Mount  Pleasant,  and  reached  us  safely  with  all 
his  supplies.  We  returned  to  Como,  reaching  there  Friday, 
January  i,  1864,  the  coldest  day  ever  known  in  the  country; 
the  entire  command,  including  the  artillery,  crossed  creeks 
on  ice.  Our  troops  suffered  greatly,  and  numbers  were  un- 
able to  dismount  when  we  reached  Como. 

When  Colonel  McCulloch  moved  from  Panola,  he  haa  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  getting  his  men  across  the  Tallahatchie 
river.  The  crossing  was  accomplished  on  a  pontoon  bridge, 
and  only  a  few  men  and  their  horses  could  cross  at  a  time. 
Those  in  the  rear,  while  waiting,  would  slip  back  into  the 
little  town.  General  Chalmers,  seeing  this,  sent  his  staff 
officers  to  order  the  men  in  line.  They  rode  along  calling 
on  the  men  to  close  up.  Several  Texans,  hearing  the  order, 
dashed  along  the  street  at  break-neck  speed ;  one  fellow,  some 
distance  in  the  rear,  yelling  as  he  ran  whirling  his  lasso  above 
his  head,  passed  an  old  store  in  which  stood  a  figure  of  a 


124  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

woman,  a  wire  frame  used  for  displaying  cloaks  and  dresses. 
There  was  an  old  faded  pink  shirt  on  the  figure,  which  stood 
near  a  window,  the  sash  was  out,  the  Texan  saw  it,  and  quick 
as  a  flash  his  rope  caught  the  dummy.  Down  the  street  he 
flew,  dragging  the  thing  after  him.  It  was  light,  and  some- 
times would  rise  six  feet  above  the  ground.  Every  person 
who  saw  it  thought  he  had  lassoed  a  woman.  People 
looked  on  in  dread.  The  fellow  yelling  every  jump,  and 
wearing  his  big  hat  on  the  back  of  his  head,  the  scene  was 
startling.  Arriving  at  the  river,  he  halted,  drew  in  his  rope, 
caught  the  figure  under  his  arm,  and  calmly  and  quietly  rode 
on  the  bridge,  A  great  crowd  followed  to  see  the  outcome, 
and  when  they  saw  what  he  had,  a  cheer  went  up. 


LIEUT.-GENERAL  NATHAN  BEDFORD  FORREST. 

"  Natura  lo  fece,  e  poi  ruppe  la  stampa." 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  125 


LIEUTENANT-GENERAL  N.  B.  FORREST. 

Nathan  Bedford  Forrest,  was  born  on  the  i3th  day  of  July, 
A.  D.  1821,  at  Chapel  Hill,  in  what  was  then  Bedford,  but  is 
now  Marshall,  county,  Tennessee. 

His  father  was  Wm.  Forrest,  and  his  mother  Mariam  Beck, 
whose  first-born  were  twins,  one  of  whom  was  Nathan  Bed- 
ford, the  other  a  girl.  William  Forerst  was  the  son  of  Na- 
than Forrest  and  Miss  Baugh.  Nathan  Forrest  was  the  son 
of  Shadrack  Forrest,  who  was  of  English  descent,  and  who 
emigrated  from  the  Colony  of  Virginia,  in  1730,  to  Orange 
county,  Colony  of  North  Carolina,  and  in  1806  to  Tennessee. 
Miss  Baugh  was  of  Irish  origin.  Mariam  Beck,  the  wife  of 
Wm.  Forrest,  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent. 

It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  Nathan  Bedford  was  of  English, 
Scotch, and  Irish  descent.  William  Forrest  died  in  1837,  leav- 
ing a  family  of  seven  boys  and  three  girls,  and  four  months 
after  his  death  the  eighth  son,  Jeffrey,  was  born.  The  untimely 
death  of  his  father  deprived  Nathan  Bedford  of  any  further 
school  advantages,  because  his  labor  was  necessary  for  the 
support  of  his  mother  and  her  children.  He  went  to  work 
on  the  little  farm  with  all  the  energy  and  determination  which 
characterized  him  afterward,  and  by  1849,  when  he  was  nine- 
teen years  old,  had  accumulated  a  reasonable  competency 
for  his  mother  and  family. 

In  1841,  he  joined  a  company  to  go  to  Texas,  but  on 
reaching  New  Orleans  the  necessary  arrangements  could  not 
be  made  for  the  trip  beyond,  and  the  company  was  dis- 
banded. Bedford  and  a  few  others  determined  to  go  on, 
and  went  so  far  as  Houston,  but,  finding  no  demand  for  his 
services,  he  returned  to  his  home  in  the  fall  of  1842. 

His  early  life  was  a  series  of  hardships,  and  he  had  many 
dangerous  personal  encounters,  in  all  of  which  he  acquitted 


126  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  ETC., 

himself  with  credit.  In  1845,  m  *he  25th  year  of  his  age, 
he  married  Miss  Mary  Ann  Montgomery,  and  lived  at  Her- 
nando,  Miss.,  until  1852,  when  he  moved  to  Memphis  and 
engaged  in  the  real  estate  business.  He  prospered,  and  in 
1860  owned  two  fine  plantations  in  Coahoma  county,  Miss. 
He  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Captain  J.  S.  White's  cavalry 
company,  June  10,  1861,  and  in  July  was  commissioned  by 
the  governor  of  Tennessee  to  raise  a  regiment  of  cavalry, 
which  he  armed  and  equipped  at  his  own  expense.  From 
colonel  he  was  successively  promoted  to  brigadier-general, 
major-general,  and  lieutenant-general.  Mariam  Beck,  the 
mother  of  General  Forrest,  was  a  woman  of  remarkable  char- 
acter, as  well  as  great  physical  force,  and  her  children  un- 
doubtedly inherited  their  energy  and  determination  from  her. 
Of  the  union  between  General  Forrest  and  Mary  Ann  Mont- 
gomery, there  was  born  one  son,  Wm.  Montgomery  Forrest, 
who  served  as  captain  and  aide-de-camp  to  his  father  during 
the  war. 

No  one  was  at  any  time  during  the  war  near  the  person 
of  General  Forrest,  will  consider  the  following  a  panegyric, 
nor  any  thing  more  than  a  just  and  fair  delineation  of  the 
man,  the  soldier,  and  the  general.  It  came  into  my  posses- 
sion credited  to  Colonel  Joyce.  Who  he  was,  and  whether 
living  or  dead,  I  know  not,  and  never  knew.  It  attracted 
my  attention  and  challenged  my  admiration  when  I  first  read 
it,  and  I  give  it  here  verbatim : 

"  Forrest  was  a  magnetic  man,  standing  stalwart  and  erect, 
six  feet  one  inch,  broad  shouldered,  long  arms,  high  round 
forehead,  dark  gray  eyes,  a  prominent  nose,  emphatic  jaw, 
compressed  lips,  and  a  moustache  setting  off  a  face  that  said 
to  all  the  world  :  '  Out  of  my  way,  I  'M  coming.' 

"  His  step  was  firm,  action  impulsive,  voice  sonorous, 
and,  taken  all  in  all,  there  was  not  a  soldier  of  the  Confed- 
eracy that  acted  with  more  celerity  or  effective  force  from 
the  1 4th  of  June,  1861,  when  he  became  a  private  at  Mem- 


CAPT.  GEORGE  DASHIELL. 

Of  General  Forrest's  Staff. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  127 

phis,  to  the  pth  day  of  May,  1865,  at  Gainesville,  Ala., 
where  he  surrendered  as  lieutenant-general  to  the  United 
States  authorities. 

"To  determine  with  Forrest,  was  to  act,  and  the  flash  of 
his  saber  at  the  head  of  his  columns  charging  the  cavalry  or 
infantry  of  the  enemy,  inspired  his  troops  with  the  sunlight 
of  victory,  and  they  dashed  into  battle  like  the  audacious 
warriors  of  Napoleon  on  the  field  of  Atisterlitz. 

The  most  heroic  thing  ever  done  by  Forrest,*  was  his  res- 
cue of  young  Abel,  who  had  killed  a  friend  in  a  family 
quarrel,  from  the  hands  of  a  Memphis  mob  of  3,000  infuri- 
ated men.  They  had  dragged  the  boy  from  the  jail,  swung 
the  rope  around  his  neck,  and  were  in  the  act  of  hoisting 
him  over  a  beam,  when  this  intrepid  citizen  rushed  through 
the  frantic  crowd,  drew  his  bowie-knife,  cut  the  rope,  and 
hurried  the  intended  victim  back  to  jail,  where  the  mob  fol- 
lowed, and  still  demanded  blood. 

"Forrest  jumped  upon  the  jail  steps,  drew  a  revolver, 
and  swore  he  would  kill  the  first  man  that  attemptad  to  en- 
ter, and  then  and  there,  that  lone  hero,  with  truth  and  law 
on  his  side,  conquered  a  howling,  desperate  mob.  There 
was  nothing  in  his  subsequent  career  that  equaled  this  for 
desperate,  sublime  courage,  such  as  '  Winkelried  '  displayed, 
when  he  threw  himself  on  the  Austrian  spears,  or  Leoni- 
das  blocking  the  pass  of  Thermopylae  with  his  immortal  three 
hundred." 


*  This  actually  occurred  in   Memphis   in  1857,  and  there  are  men 
now  living  who  witnessed  the  occurrence. 


128  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

FORREST  CAVALRY  ORGANIZED  AT  COMO,  Miss. — SEVEN- 
TEEN MEN  ORDERED  TO  BE  SHOT  AT  OXFORD — THE 
BATTLE  OF  OKOLONA  —  COLONEL  JEFFREY  FORREST 
KILLED — A  TOUCHING  SCENE — THE  ENEMY  BURN  PRI- 
VATE PROPERTY. 

Soon  after  General  Chalmers'  command  had  well  settled  in 
camp,  General  Forrest  reached  us  with  his  force,  including 
the  men  he  recruited  in  West  Tennessee.  He  organized 
what  proved  to  be  the  most  remarkable  command  in  the 
army.  At  that  time,  January  4,  1864,  General  Polk  was  as- 
signed to  the  command  of  the  department.  General  Forrest 
was  given  command  of  all  the  cavalry  in  Mississippi  and 
North  Alabama.  Two  brigades  composed  General  Chalmers' 
division.  One  brigade,  commanded  by  Colonel  Robert  Mc- 
Culloch,  consisted  of  the  Second  Missouri,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
McCulloch;  Willis'  Texas  Battalion,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Theo. 
Willis;  Falkner's  Kentucky  Regiment,  Colonel  W.  W.  Falk- 
ner;  Eighteenth  Mississippi  Regiment,  Colonel  A.  H.  Chal- 
mers; and  Keiser's  Mississippi  Battalion. 

The  second  brigade,  commanded  by  Colonel  Jeffrey  For- 
rest, was :  McDonald's  Battalion,  Colonel  Kelly ;  Seventh 
Tennessee,  Colonel  Duckworth;  Third  Mississippi,  Colonel 
McGuirk ;  Fifth  Mississippi,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Barksdale ; 
and  the  Nineteenth  Mississippi,  Colonel  Duff. 

A  brigade  commanded  by  Colonel  Richardson,  and  another 
by  Colonel  Barteau,  were  also  organized.  Within  a  few  days, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  129 

General  Forrest  left  us  for  Meridian,  to  consult  with  General 
Polk.     General  Chalmers  was  left  in  command. 

We  moved  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Tallahatchie,  and  on 
the  morning  of  January  8,  1864,  Henderson's  scouts  reported 
that  a  large  force  would  leave  Memphis  about  the  nth,  in 
three  columns,  one  via  Hernando,  one  via  Holly  Springs,  and 
the  third  in  the  direction  of  Okolona.  Also,  that  Sherman, 
with  a  large  force,  would  leave  Vicksburg  at  the  same  time, 
to  co-operate  with  the  force  moving  from  Memphis ;  the  pur- 
pose being  to  destroy  all  the  supplies  in  the  rich  prairie  sec- 
tion of  Mississippi  and  Alabama.  The  weather  was  intensely 
cold,  and  our  men  were  scantily  clad.  Great  numbers  of 
them  suffered  severely  from  frost-bite.  General  Chalmers 
notified  General  Forrest  of  the  situation,  at  the  same  time 
disposed  of  the  command  to  meet  the  advancing  Federals. 
McCulloch  was  left  at  Panola,  Bell  sent  to  Belmont,  Richard- 
son to  Wyatt,  and  McQuirk  to  Abbeville.  The  balance  of 
the  command  was  sent  to  Oxford,  where  General  Chalmers 
made  his  headquarters,  and  at  which  place  General  Forrest 
rejoined  us.  While  we  remained  at  Oxford,  quite  a  number 
of  .the  new  men  whom  General  Forrest  had  recruited  in  West 
Tennessee  decided  they  could  not  endure  the  cold  and  suffer- 
ing, and  therefore  determined  to  leave  the  service  and  return 
home.  This  was  a  serious  matter,  and  required  severe  and 
heroic  action  to  check  it.  As  soon  as  the  fact  was  reported, 
General  Forrest  sent  men  to  capture  and  bring  them  back. 
Fifteen  or  twenty  were  caught,  and  carried  before  General 
Forrest,  who  ordered  them  to  be  shot  the  next  day.  He  had 
coffins  made  for  each,  and  a  long  grave  dug.  The  crowd  sen- 
tenced consisted  of  ten  boys  and  seven  men.  Intense  excite- 


130  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

ment  prevailed  in  the  neighborhood  and  among  the  troops. 
Delegations  of  ladies  and  ministers  appealed  to  General 
Forrest  to  spare  the  men,  but  he  was  obdurate.  He  said  he 
would  have  no  such  worthless  thrash  disgrace  his  command. 
The  hour  arrived,  and  the  deserters  riding  on  their  coffins 
moved  to  the  spot  selected  for  the  execution.  Two  com- 
panies guarded  the  procession.  They  arrived  at  the  grave, 
and  each  man,  with  his  hands  tied  behind  him,  sat  on  the 
small  end  of  his  coffin  waiting  for  the  word  fire.  The  occa- 
sion was  one  of  the  most  serious  as  well  as  the  most  solemn 
ever  witnessed  by  those  present.  Several  hundred  soldiers 
stood  around  to  see  what  the  end  would  be,  and  large  num- 
bers of  citizens  and  little  children  were  there.  The  two 
companies  moved  to  position  and  loaded  their  guns.  Every 
thing  was  in  readiness  awaiting  the  command.  Who  can 
realize  the  thoughts  that  crossed  the  minds  of  those  men  and 
boys,  as  they  sat  on  the  crumbling  brink  of  eternity,  and 
looked  into  the  interminable  abyss  ?  It  was  awful !  People 
waited  for  the  command  "  fire."  The  officer  seemed  to 
hesitate,  but  every  one  knew  it  must  be  done.  Those  brave, 
tried  and  true  men,  who  stood  in  line  with  their  guns  at  a 
ready  were  suffering  almost  as  much  as  the  deserters. 
Their  faces  were  pale,  but  stern.  It  was  the  greatest  trial  of 
their  lives,  but  they  were  steady.  There  was  not  the  slightest 
quiver.  The  officer  passed  in  front  of  the  soldiers,  and  took 
his  position  on  the  right,  and  faced  to  the  left.  The  time 
was  short  now.  Only  a  moment  left  for  those  human  beings 
who  had  disgraced  themselves  and  the  cause.  They  were 
doomed.  "  Here  comes  General  Forrest,"  some  one  said, 
and  he  rode  hurriedly  up  in  front  of  the  condemned.  He 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  131 

said :  "  Captain,  untie  those  men  and  turn  them  loose,"  then 
turning  to  the  deserters  said  :  "  Now,  boys,  you  go  to  your 
commands,  and  see  if  you  can't  make  good  soldiers."  Gen- 
eral Forrest  rode  rapidly  back  to  town,. and  the  men  who  had 
marched  in  that  solemn  procession  for  execution  were  free. 
The  town  was  wild.  The  terrible  gloom  which  hung  over 
the  place  gave  way  to  cheers.  Men  and  children  went  run- 
ing  from  house  to  house  telling  the  news.  An  hour  before 
both  soldiers  and  citizens  were  in  the  depths,  now  they 
moved  about  and  laughed.  What  a  wonderful  thing  is  the 
human  mind ! 

General  Forrest  was  overrun  by  people  expressing  apprecia- 
tion for  his  pardon  of  the  men.  It  was  a  master  stroke. 
There  were  no  more  desertions,  and  the  men  learned  that 
General  Forrest  was  not  cruel,  nor  unnecessarily  severe,  but 
they  also  learned  that  he  would  not  be  trifled  with.  The 
effect  was  marvelous.  The  old  soldiers  who  had  served 
under  him  laughed  and  said:  "We  knew  he  would  do 
it,"  and  the  recruits  said:  "me  too." 

This  circumstance  was  talked  about  throughout  the  South, 
and  hundreds  of  people  heard  that  the  boys  were  shot.  They 
censured  General  Forrest  greatly,  and  there  are  to-day  men 
and  women  who  believe  that  the  men  were  killed.  They 
have  never  forgiven  General  Forrest.  But  the  writer  was 
with  General  Forrest  nearly  two  years,  and  closely  associated 
with  his  campaigns.  The  statement,  as  detailed  above,  is 
true  in  every  particular.  Forrest  seemed  to  know  by  instinct 
what  was  necessary  to  do.  He  was  pleasant  and  com- 
panionable when  he  was  not  disturbed,  but  no  occasion  ever 
arose  which  he  was  not  master  of.  He  fought  to  kill,  but  he 


132  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

treated  his  prisoners  with  all  the  consideration  in  his  power. 
So  he  did  his  own  men.  But  he  wanted  the  latter  for  serv- 
ice, and  not  merely  to  count.  I  state  it  with  confidence, 
that  any  man  who  followed  Forrest  was  a  good  one.  He 
could  not  stay  unless  he  was.  A  man  who  can  show  that  he 
was  with  Forrest  the  last  year  and  a  half  of  the  war  is  no  or- 
dinary man,  you  can  depend  on  that. 

On  January  u,  1864,  the  enemy  left  Memphis,  moving 
east.  Sherman  began  his  march  to  Meridian  at  the  same 
time.  The  army  leaving  Memphis  was  commanded  by  Gen- 
eral Sooy  Smith.  General  Forrest,  after  consultation  with 
General  Chalmers,  telegraphed  General  Polk  he  thought  it 
best  to  concentrate  all  the  available  forces  against  Smith  and 
whip  him,  after  which  attention  could  be  given  to  Sherman. 
General  Polk  approved  the  plan,  and  promised  to  send  all 
the  troops  he  could  to  assist  us.  It  was  the  evident  purpose 
of  the  enemy  to  march  on  Meridian,  and  there  decide 
whether  to  go  to  Selma  or  Mobile.  It  was  well  known  to 
Sherman  that  we  had  but  a  small  force,  and  this  move  would 
necessarily  divide  it.  The  Confederate  Government  received 
a  large  proportion  of  the  supplies  for  the  army  from  the  sec- 
tion which  the  enemy  sought  to  impoverish  and  desolate.  It 
was,  therefore,  a  most  trying  situation.  Either  of  the  col- 
umns, Smith's  or  Sherman's,  greatly  outnumbered  our  forces, 
and  yet  these  two  armies  must  not  come  together.  How 
could  it  be  prevented?  On  January  14,  1864,  General  Chal- 
mers reached  Houston  with  his  division,  while  Barteau  was 
marching  toward  Okalona.  The  following  day  the  entire 
command  halted  at  and  around  Okalona.  We  found  worlds 
of  corn  in  pens  along  the  line  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Rail- 


IN   THE   C ONFEDERA  TE  ARM T.  133 

road.  It  was  our  first  trip  to  the  prairies.  The  horses  were 
fed  all  they  could  eat.  It  was  a  blessing  to  them.  A  caval- 
ryman thinks  first  of  his  horse.  It  was  the  first  time  in 
weeks  that  the  horses  had  sufficient  feed.  General  Forrest 
went  to  West  Point,  so  as  to  be  in  communication  with  Gen- 
eral Polk,  and  left  General  Chalmers  in  command.  The 
enemy  was  moving  on  us.  General  Polk  telegraphed  Gen- 
eral Forrest  that  he  was  hurrying  a  brigade  to  his  support. 
General  Forrest  sent  word  to  General  Chalmers  to  hold  his 
ground  as  long  as  he  could,  without  bringing  on  a  general 
conflict.  We  fell  slowly  back  toward  West  Point,  skirmishing 
over  every  foot  of  the  route.  General  Chalmers  was  so  stub- 
born in  his  retreat  that  several  times  General  Smith  made  dis- 
position for  battle,  but  as  soon  as  he  was  ready,  we  fell  back 
a  few  miles  and  went  through  the  same  tactics.  We  reached 
West  Point,  and  crossed  to  the  south  side  of  the  Sookatoncha 
river,  on  January  igth.  The  enemy,  in  the  meantime,  was 
busily  engaged  burning  every  thing  that  could  be  of  any  serv- 
ice. At  night  we  could  see  fires  for  .miles.  They  burned 
houses,  cribs,  fences,  and  every  thing  they  found.  On  Janu- 
ary zoth,  the  enemy  camped  near  West  Point,  Miss.  Early 
on  the  morning  of  the  2ist,  we  crossed  the  Sookatoncha, 
with  McCulloch's  and  Jeffrey  Forrest's  brigades.  General 
Forrest  was  with  us.  Those  of  the  enemy  who  were  not  en- 
gaged burning  the  houses  and  property  of  defenseless  citizens 
were  resting  quietly  in  camp.  General  Forrest,  at  the  head 
of  Jeffrey  Forrest's  brigade,  struck  the  enemy  near  West 
Point.  They  were  not  looking  for  us.  Forrest  dashed  at 
them  in  front,  and  McCulloch's  brigade  slashed  them  in  the 
flank.  They  were  surprised,  and  fled  in  confusion.  We 


134  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

had  them  flying  in  twenty  minutes.  The  enemy  ran  for 
their  lives.  We  drove  them  about  five  miles,  when  they 
formed  on  a  line  of  hills.  There  was  an  open  field  for  a  full 
quarter  of  a  mile  in  their  front.  As  soon  as  our  troops 
poured  out  of  the  woods,  the  enemy  sent  a  line  charging 
down  the  hill  to  meet  us.  General  Smith  had  his  artillery 
massed  on  his  left  flank,  from  which  he  rained  shot  and  shell 
upon  our  line.  McCulloch  was  in  front.  It  looked  as  if  he 
could  not  check  that  charge,  nor  stand  the  fury  of  the  artil- 
lery; but  "Old  Black  Bob,"  with  his  long  saber  raised  above 
his  head,  called  on  his  men  to  charge.  They  did  not  disap- 
point him.  They  raised  a  yell  and  rushed  on.  The  men 
acted  as  if  they  were  inspired.  Colonel  Forrest  and  part  of 
his  brigade  rode  rapidly  to  the  left,  seeking  the  enemy's  rear, 
and  struck  him  in  the  flank  about  the  time  McCulloch  met 
him  in  front.  General  Forrest  rushed  forward  with  McCul- 
loch. It  was  but  a  short  time  before  the  enemy  was  in  full 
retreat.  We  had  a  running  fight  nearly  to  Okalona,  and  but 
for  night  coming  on,  and  the  bad  condition  of  the  roads  and 
fields,  there  is  no  telling  what  would  have  been  the  result.  The 
enemy  retreated  as  fast  as  we  could  advance.  He  used  the 
road,  while  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  use  the  fields,  in  order  to 
get  in  his  rear.  Every  man  was  in  the  saddle  by  daylight  the 
next  morning.  General  Forrest  learned  that  the  enemy  had 
formed  a  line  for  battle  just  in  the  suburbs  of  Okalona.  He 
ordered  Jeffrey  Forrest  to  attack  on  the  right  flank,  while 
McCulloch  was  sent  to  the  left.  Barteau,  with  his  command 
and  the  artillery,  he  posted  in  front.  It  was  evident  that 
General  Smith  intended  to  make  the  fight  of  his  life  right 
there. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  135 

Our  troops  advanced  about  the  same  time  from  each  position. 
The  enemy  was  well  posted.  It  did  not  look  reasonable  that 
we  could  drive  that  long  line  with  the  small  force  we  had.  But 
the  advance  was  ordered,  and  our  men  went  to  work.  Bar- 
teau's  line  advanced  beautifully.  Jeffrey  Forrest  met  a  strong 
resistance.  So  did  McCulloch,  with  whom  General  Forrest 
was.  Forward  they  moved.  The  enemy  poured  a  terrific  fire 
on  us,  and  fought  stubbornly.  Jeffrey  Forrest,  at  the  head  of 
the  gallant  Seventh  Tennessee,  was  shot,  and  fell,  but  the  line 
did  not  halt.  In  a  few  minutes  General  Forrest  was  apprised 
of  his  death.  He  galloped  to  where  he  lay,  and  dismounted. 
He  kneeled  down  and  raised  Jeffrey's  head.  He  held  him  in 
a  sitting  position  a  moment,  kissed  him,  and  gently  placed 
him  back  on  the  ground.  He  spread  his  handkerchief  over 
his  face,  and  mounted  his  horse.  Two  of  his  staff,  Major  J. 
P.  Strange  and  Captain  Charles  Anderson,  together  with  his 
escort,  were  silent  witnesses  to  that  sad  scene.  They  knew 
how  devoted  General  Forrest  was  to  Jeffrey,  and  they  knew 
the  terrible  ordeal  he  was  passing  through.  But  when  he 
mounted  he  left  his  heart  by  Jeffrey's  side,  and  carried  mad- 
ness and  destruction  in  his  saddle.  He  called  on  "Gaus," 
his  bugler,  to  sound  the  charge,  and  at  the  head  of  his  escort, 
with  Major  Strange  and  .Captain  Anderson  by  his  side,  he 
flew  to  the  enemy's  flank.  In  the  meantime  our  men  were 
driving  the  line  back.  General  Forrest  rushed  over  and  rode 
down  the  enemy  in  his  front.  A  panic  soon  followed.  Mc- 
Culloch had  advanced  his  line  nearly  a  mile,  while  Barteau 
drove  them  from  the  center.  There  was  now  a  complete 
rout.  The  enemy  ran  in  disorder,  throwing  away  their  guns 
and  every  thing  which  impeded  their  speed.  General  For- 


]36  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

rest  continued  to  repeat:  "Charge  them!  charge  them!" 
He  was  bent  on  the  destruction  of  that  army.  But  our 
troops  and  horses  were  completely  exhausted.  They  were 
compelled  to  get  their  breath.  He,  therefore,  withdrew  the 
pursuit. 

General  Gholson,  with  about  a  thousand  state  troops, 
reached  us  early  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  and  hounded 
the  retreating  enemy  all  day.  Just  as  the  enemy's  lines 
broke,  Colonel  McCulloch  was  painfully  wounded.  We 
lost  a  number  of  gallant  men,  among  them  Lieutenant-Colonel 
James  A.  Barksdale,  killed  at  the  head  of  his  regiment.  He 
was  an  ideal  man  and  soldier.  No  braver  man  ever  gave  his 
life  to  a  patriotic  cause.  General  Smith  was  so  badly  whipped 
that  he  made  no  halt  until  he  reached  Memphis.  He  left 
there  with  eight  thousand  or  more  men,  splendidly  equipped, 
cavalry  and  artillery,  with  a  large  train  of  wagons,  confident 
he  would  join  Sherman.  It  did  not  occur  to  him  or  his  men 
that  Forrest,  with  his  undisciplined  force  of  about  thirty-five 
hundred  men,  could  stay  the  march  an  hour.  We  killed  and 
wounded  several  hundred  of  the  enemy,  and  captured  many 
more  ;  together  with  a  large  number  of  wagons  and  a  portion 
of  his  artillery  and  horses.  Prior  to  this  fight,  even  the  ad- 
mirers of  Forrest  would  say  that  his  success  was  due  some- 
what to  circumstances.  But  this  occasion  proved  that  he 
was  the  genius  of  battle.  Think  of  it  just  a  moment !  Gen- 
eral Smith,  with  nearly  five  thousand  men  in  excess  of  For- 
rest's entire  force,  routed  and  sent  flying  back  over  the  road 
he  came.  On  his  march  to  West  Point,  his  men,  after  burn- 
ing every  thing  in  reach,  would  tell  the  old  men  and  women 
who  begged  for  their  property  what  they  would  do  to  Forrest 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  137 

and  Chalmers  when  they  caught  them.  These  same  old 
people  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  rascals  running  for 
their  lives,  willing  to  beg  pardon  or  do  any  thing  to  keep 
from  meeting  Forrest. 

In  the  meantime  Sherman  was  marching  on  Meridian, 
with  little  or  no  resistance  in  his  way.  When  finally  he 
reached  that  point,  and  heard  of  the  defeat  of  Smith,  he 
folded  his  wings  and  returned  to  Vicksburg,  without  accom- 
plishing any  object,  except  to  burn  and  destroy  every  thing 
in  his  path.  Provisions  he  could  not  find  transportation  for 
he  burned.  He  positively  left  nothing  on  his  trail  for  the 
helpless  women  and  children  to  eat.  The  greatest  suffering 
for  days  and  weeks  was  undergone  by  those  poor  people 
whom  he  had  robbed.  Every  horse,  mule,  and  cow  was 
driven  off.  Ladies  appealed  to  him  to  leave  them  one  horse 
or  cow,  and  a  few  rations  of  meal,  but  I  challenge  the  world 
to  produce  a  person  who  will  say  that  Sherman  was  ever 
touched  by  the  pleadings  of  any  woman,  even  though  she 
asked  for  what  belonged  to  her.  Like  the  eyeless  cobra,  he 
plunged  his  deadly  fangs  into  every  thing  that  moved  within 
his  reach. 


138  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

How  THE  BOYS  SANG  THE  PRAISE  OF  THE  STARKVILLE 
GIRLS — COLONEL  YOUNG  AND  LIEUTENANT  TAYLOR 
PLAY  A  GAME  OF  CARDS — THE  BATTLE  OF  FORT  PIL- 
LOW— THE  CONDUCT  OF  THE  NEGROES  — How  FORREST 
LOOKED. 

After  the  fight  at  Okalona,  the  entire  command  was  dis- 
tributed between  Starkville  and  Columbus.  The  abundance 
of  corn  stored  in  pens  and  stacks  of  fodder  and  hay  furnished 
the  opportunity  to  put  the  horses  in  good  condition.  Com- 
pany officers  were  required  to  look  after  horses  under  their 
charge.  The  experienced  cavalryman  took  good  care  of  his 
own  horse.  He  knew  the  value  of  having  him  in  good  con- 
dition, but  the  men  recently  enlisted  (and  they  constituted 
about  one-half  of  the  command)  thought  more  of  their  own 
comfort  than  that  of  their  horses.  All  this  had  to  be  looked 
after,  and  the  men  taught  the  important  lesson  of  true  horse- 
manship. A  man  who  understands  how  to  ride  is  never 
troubled  with  a  sore-backed  horse.  We  had  an  entire  regi- 
ment of  expert  horsemen,  and  we  had  regiments  that  had  to 
learn  the  art,  even  after  the  Okalona  fight.  General  Forrest 
made  his  headquarters  at  Columbus,  where  the  people  were 
devotedly  attached  to  him.  No  Federal  command  had  ever 
reached  Columbus,  and  the  people  believed  that  Forrest 
would  prevent  them  from  ever  doing  so.  General  Forrest 
was  fond  of  company,  and  spent  the  time  there  most  pleas- 
antly. The  ladies  presented  him  with  a  magnificent  horse, 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  139 

which  became  almost  as  famous  as  the  general  himself.  His 
name  was  "King  Phillip."  He  was  perfectly  white  with 
dark  mane  and  tail.  He  was  a  model  saddle  horse,  and 
made  of  the  same  kind  of  stuff  that  the  general  was.  We 
would  like  to  see  a  monument  erected  over  "Old  Phillip." 
He  was  buried,  after  the  war,  on  the  general's  farm  in 
Coahoma  county,  Mississippi.  Further  on  we  will  tell  of 
"King  Phillip's"  virtues. 

General  Chalmers  made  his  headquarters,  near  Starkville, 
at  the  pleasant  home  of  Mrs.  Montgomery.  It  was  a  com- 
fortable and  delightful  place.  The  general  and  his  staff  spent 
a  most  pleasant  ten  days  halt  and  rest  there.  Captain  Her- 
bert, formerly  on  the  staff  of  General  Imboden  of  General 
Lee's  army,  had  but  a  short  while  previous  to  this  reported 
to  General  Chalmers  for  duty,  and  was  temporarily  a  member 
of  the  staff.  Major  H.  H.  Chalmers,  a  younger  brother  of 
the  general,  had  been  elected  a  few  months  before  the  time 
we  write  of,  district  attorney  for  North  Mississippi.  His 
home,  Hernando,  was  frequently  in  the  enemy's  lines,  there- 
fore, he  did  service  as  a  volunteer  aid,  except  when  his  court 
was  in  session.  Major  Chalmers,  or  as  we  familiarly  called 
him,  "  Major  Ham,"  was  an  exceedingly  bright  and  tal- 
ented man.  He  was  subsequently  chief  justice  for  Mis- 
sissippi. We  introduce  these  gentlemen,  because  they 
figured  quite  prominently  about  that  time.  Mrs.  Montgom- 
ery had  a  very  bright,  pretty  daughter,  who  also  had  a  troop 
of  attractive  young  lady  friends.  A  number  of  these  were 
fine  performers  on  the  piano,  and  several  of  them  were  sweet 
vocalists.  Herbert  was  an  accomplished  fiddler,  and,  there- 
fore, was  in  the  "swim  from  start  to  finish."  After  dinner 


140  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

each  day,  the  young  ladies,  to  the  number  of  seven  or  eight, 
would  come  over  and  listen  to  Herbert's  violin.  First  one 
and  then  the  other  of  them  would  accompany  him  on  the 
piano,  and  frequently  all  hands  would  join  in  a  song.  We 
soon  discovered  that  we  were  delightfully  located.  The 
young  ladies  invariably  remained  to  supper,  after  which  we 
again  repaired  to  the  parlor  to  enjoy  the  music  and  dancing. 
General  Chalmers  was  the  life  of  the  party.  His  bright 
speeches  and  cultured  manner  gave  a  freedom  to  all  present. 
There  was  no  stiffness  or  formality.  The  young  ladies  were 
gracious  and  hospitable,  and,  except  when  we  were  on  duty  in 
the  forenoon,  the  entire  crowd  was  in  the  parlors  forgetful  of 
war  or  any  other  troubles.  Major  Chalmers  also  added  to  the 
pleasures  and  amusements  of  the  company.  Very  naturally 
the  young  men  of  the  party  were  soon  "  heels  over  head  in 
love."  Each  was  devoted  to  the  girl  of  his  choice,  except 
that  Mills  and  Lindsay  were  in  love  with  the  same  beautiful 
little  widow.  Major  Chalmers  gave  all  the  assistance  and 
encouragement  he  could  to  the  boys.  He  would  pair  them 
off  and  watch  their  progress,  but  he  was  taking  mental  notes 
all  the  while.  A  few  evenings  before  we  broke  camp,  he  re- 
quested one  of  the  ladies  to  play  for  him  the  accompaniment 
to  ' '  The  Hog-eye  Man, "  and  he  would  sing  them  a  song.  He 
surprised  us  by  singing  the  following  : 

THE   STARKVILLE  GIRLS. 

Air  :   Hog  Eye-man. 
Of  Starkville  girls  we  sing  the  praise, 
How  dear  they  are,  how  sweet  their  wavs. 
Oh!  Chalmers'  staff  will  ne'er  forget 
The  day  when  first  these  girls  they  met. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  \\\ 

Chorus, 

The  pretty  little  girls  of  Starkville, 
The  pretty  little  girls  of  Starkville, 
Oh  how  they  made  our  hearts  to  thrill, 
Those  pretty  little  girls  of  Starkville. 

Oh,  we'll  remember  each  dear  one, 
And  all  the  frolic  and  the  fun, 
Where  we  forgot  amid  their  charms 
This  cruel  war  and  its  alarms. 

Chorus, 

Those  pretty  little  girls,  etc. 

Miss  Eddins  is  a  stately  queen, 
By  Herbert's  side  she  's  ever  seen. 
There  is  nobody  who  can  win 
Against  the  man  with  the  violin. 
Chorus, 

Those  pretty  little  girls,  etc. 

Miss  Thompson's  music  can't  be  beat; 
She  gave  to  us  a  splendid  treat. 
Her  touch  is  firm,  her  voice  is  sweet, 
Her  equal  we  will  never  meet. 
Chorus, 

Those  pretty  little  girls,  etc. 

And  then  there  is  Miss  Sallie  Glenn, 
Who  plays  the  wiles  with  all  the  men. 
Of  handsome  beaus  she  has  no  lack, 
From  Mississip'  to  Rackansack. 
Chorus, 

Those  pretty  little  girls,  etc. 

Who  can  forget  Miss  Stella  fair, 
Her  grace  so  sweet  and  beauty  rare. 
Oh!  his  will  be  a  happy  life 
Who  wins  this  jewel  for  his  wife. 


142  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Chorus, 

Those  pretty  little  girls,  etc. 

What  shall  we  say  of  Mrs.  Nash? 

Of  all  our  hearts  she  made  a  smash. 

Most  of  us  know  not  what  to  do, 

For  two,  at  least,  "  went  up  the  flue." 

Chorus, 

This  pretty  little  widow  of  Starkville, 
This  pretty  little  widow  of  Starkville. 
Oh,  how  she  made  our  hearts  to  thrill, 
That  pretty  little  widow  of  Starkville. 

Poor  Lindsay  died  in  life's  young  spring, 
And  to  his  grave  these  flowers  we  bring, 
While  tougher  Mills  with  many  a  gash, 
Still  lives  to  sing  of  Mrs.  Nash. 
Chorus, 

This  pretty  little  widow,  etc. 

And  now,  we  've  sung  of  all  but  one; 

Her  name  is  Nannie  Middleton. 

In  beauty's  deck  she  is  a  trump — 

She  knocked  the  flinders  out  of  Crump. 

Chorus, 

Those  pretty  little  girls,  etc. 

Of  course  it  was  immensely  popular,  and  very  soon  the 
whole  party  sang  the  major's  song.  It  gave  the  young  ladies 
more  pleasure  than  all  the  wooing  the  boys  had  done  in  the 
past  several  days.  The  following  evening  the  young  ladies 
gave  notice  that  they  would  sing  an  original  song  themselves. 
After  supper,  quite  a  crowd,  ten  or  more  girls,  collected 
about  the  piano  and  sang  the  following  to  the  tune  of  "Bob- 
bing Around  : " 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  143 

General  Chalmers  came  to  town, 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 
He  and  his  staff  do  things  up  brown, 
As  they  go  bobbing  around 

Then  there  is  the  general's  brother, 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 
But  he  's  not  very  much  like  t'  other, 
As  he  goes  bobbing  around. 

A  brave  soldier  Capt'n  Goodman  is. 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 
A  home  and  pretty  wife  are  his, 
While  he  goes  bobbing  around. 

And  then  there  's  Colonel  Casey.     Young, 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 
His  praises  are  on  many  a  tongue, 
As  he  goes  bobbing  around. 

Now  Herbert  comes,  and  Crump,  and  Mills, 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 
They  've  crossed  the  valleys  and  the  hills, 
As  they  go  bobbing  around. 

O'Neil  is  good  and  so  is  Banks, 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 
They  win  the  ladies'  smiles  and  thanks, 
As  they  go  bobbing  around. 

There  's  Lindsay,  who  no  duty  shuns, 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 
And  Dinkins,  who  from  ladies  runs, 
And  all  go  bobbing  around. 

We  know  each  one  will  cut  a  swell, 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 


144  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

But  we,  alas  !  must  say  farewell, 
While  they  '11  go  bobbing  around. 

Oh  !  how  we  wish  that  they  would  stay, 
Bobbing  around,  around,  and  around. 
For  they  will  take  our  hearts  away, 
And  go  on  bobbing  around. 

The  following  day  General  Forrest  sent  a  message  to  General 
Chalmers  requesting  his  presence  at  Columbus.  Orders  were 
given  our  servants  to  have  the  horses  ready  at  eight  A.  M. 
We  gave  notice  of  the  intended  departure.  The  young 
ladies  were  unusually  attractive  that  night,  and  we  lingered 
in  the  parlors  until  after  twelve. 

The  intention  was  to  say  good-bye,  but  Crump  and  Lindsay 
insisted  that  the  ceremony  should  be  postponed  until  morning. 
The  hour  had  arrived.  It  was  a  memorable  scene  to  us 
Our  stay  had  been  so  pleasant  it  was  with  difficulty  we  tore 
ourselves  away.  Finally  the  general  said:  "Young  gentle- 
men, we  must  be  going."  We  followed  him.  He  was 
mounted  on  his  little  sorrel  thoroughbred,  The  girls  waived 
their  handkerchiefs,  and  said:  "  Good-bye,  good-bye."  The 
general,  no  doubt,  conscious  of  the  delightful  entertainment 
we  had  enjoyed,  allowed  the  little  sorrel  too  easy  a  rein.  He 
was  the  best  and  fastest  saddle  animal  in  the  army,  and  hun- 
dreds of  men  of  Chalmers'  division  will  recollect  him.  The 
little  sorrel  felt  good.  He  went  skimming  over  the  road  in 
a  running  walk,  that  forced  the  rest  of  us  to  gallop,  except 
Colonel  Young's  colt ;  he  was  walking.  We  reached  Colum- 
bus for  dinner,  and  found  comfortable  quarters  at  the  beau- 
tiful home  of  Colonel  Pope,  where  we  met  numbers  of  re- 


IN   THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  145 

fined  and  cultivated  people.  Most  of  us  endured  the  separa- 
tion from  Starkville  friends  withoutcomplaint,  though  Mills  and 
Lindsay  spent  most  of  the  time  in  solitude.  The  little  widow 
had  charmed  them.  They  longed  to  go  back  for  a  day,  but 
were  ashamed  to  ask  for  permission.  They  were  rivals  and 
could  not  comfort  each  other.  They  were  miserable,  but 
time  and  distance  cures  all  such  aches.  They  survived  many 
years,  and  married  other  girls. 

While  at  Columbus,  our  force  was  augmented  by  a  small 
brigade  of  Kentuckians  under  command  of  General  Abe 
Buford.  The  second  division  of  Forrest's  cavalry  was 
formed,  consisting  of  two  brigades.  The  first  commanded 
by  Colonel  A.  P.  Thompson,  and  the  second  by  Colonel  T. 
H.  Bell.  Both  brigades  mustered  twenty-eight  hundred 
effective  men.  General  Buford  was  given  command  of  the 
second  division.  This  occurred  on  March  8,  1864.  Soon 
afterward  General  Forrest  decided  to  destroy  Sherman's 
communications.  He  left  Columbus  with  Buford's  division 
and  the  Seventh  Tennessee  and  McDonald's  battalion  of 
Chalmers'  division,  about  the  middle  of  March.  He  moved 
directly  to  Sherman's  rear,  capturing  a  number  of  block 
houses  and  garrisons,  accomplishing  wonderful  feats  of 
diplomacy,  and  destroying  over  a  million  dollars  worth  of 
supplies.  On  the  i3th  of  March  he  ordered  General  Chal- 
mers to  post  his  division  along  the  Tallahatchie,  and  protect 
the  country  from  raids  and  marauding  parties,  which  were  in 
the  habit  of  going  out  from  Memphis.  General  Chalmers 
made  his  headquarters  at  Grenada.  He  established  a  picket 
line  along  the  Coldwater  river.  While  the  commands  were 
camped  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Tallahatchie,  Henderson's 


146  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

scouts  operated  around  Memphis  in  advance  of  the  picket 
line.  Captain  Thomas  Henderson,  who  commanded  the 
scouts,  was  a  man  of  unusual  capacity,  and,  though  lame 
from  a  wound  he  had  formerly  received,  was  as  active  on 
horseback  as  the  best  of  them.  General  Chalmers  sent 
Lieutenant  Bleecker  with  a  squad  of  ten  men  on  March  24th 
to  scout  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston 
Railroad.  His  instructions  were  to  find  Captain  Henderson 
and  confer  with  him.  Captain  Henderson  was  near  Byhalia, 
and  proceeded  with  Lieutenant  Bleecker  to  Germantown, 
and  they  remained  two  or  three  days  in  the  neighborhood. 
While  there  they  heard  of  Forrest's  destruction  of  the  gar- 
risons along  Sherman's  lines  of  communication.  The  men 
were  scouting  for  news,  and  Captain  Henderson  suggested 
that  it  would  be  better  for  Lieutenant  Bleecker  and  himself 
to  go  back  to  the  Byhalia  neighborhood,  so  that  the  scouts 
operating  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Mississippi  river  could  reach 
them  quickly.  They  reached  a  farm  house  (the  house  of 
Mrs.  Williams)  at  noon,  and  were  invited  to  stop  for  dinner. 
There  was  a  grove  around  the  front  of  the  house,  inclosed  by 
a  strong  rail  fence.  The  "big  gate  "  was  some  two  hundred 
yards  from  the  house,  which  was  inclosed  in  a  picket  fence. 
The  garden  to  the  rear  of  the  house  had  also  a  high  picket 
fence  around  it.  The  captain  and  lieutenant  hitched  their 
horses  on  the  inside  of  the  yard  fence.  They  were  enjoying 
a  good  meal,  when  Miss  WTilliams,  who  faced  the  "  big  gate," 
said,  "There  come  the  Yankees,  run  quickly."  Lieutenant 
Bleecker  reached  the  horses  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to 
write  it,  unhitched  both,  mounted  his  own,  and  led  Captain 
Henderson's  to  him.  About  one  hundred  of  the  enemy 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  147 

were  racing  through  the  grove  toward  the  house.  In  the 
meantime  Captain  Henderson  and  Bleecker  mounted  and 
flew  toward  the  garden.  That  was  the  only  hope  of  escape. 
As  they  turned  the  corner  of  the  house  they  saw  Miss 
Williams  holding  the  gate  open.  The  Yankees  were  firing 
their  carbines  and  crying  halt.  The  bullets  whizzed  about 
them,  and  many  struck  the  fence  near  where  Miss  Williams 
stood.  Into  the  garden  they  rode,  Lieutenant  Bleecker 
ahead.  There  was  little  hope  of  the  horses  clearing  the 
fence,  but  it  was  worth  a  trial.  Lieutenant  Bleecker  rode 
a  large  bay,  by  no  means  a  good  jumper,  nor  was  he  a  fast 
runner,  but  the  sharp  spurs  striking  his  sides  made  him  do 
his  best.  The  fence  was  fully  six  feet  high.  As  he  reached 
it,  Bleecker  raised  himself  in  the  stirrups  for  the  jump.  It 
is  known  that  a  horse  in  jumping  gathers  his  legs  under  his 
body  and  throws  them  forward  just  as  he  alights.  Bleecker's 
horse  went  at  the  fence,  striking  the  top  railing  with  his 
breast,  and  knocked  down  the  .entire  panel,  falling  with  it. 
Captain  Henderson  was  riding  a  better  horse,  which  cleared 
Bleecker  and  his  horse  as  they  fell.  Both  were  up,  however, 
in  two  seconds,  and  followed  Captain  Henderson  into  the 
woods,  making  their  escape.  Captain  Henderson  when 
riding  carried  his  crutch  on  his  arm.  After  reaching  a  safe 
distance  they  halted,  and  discovered  the  crutch  had  the  lower 
end  shot  off.  With'  this  exception  neither  of  them  was 
struck.  They  remained  in  the  woods  until  night,  and  rode 
back  to  ascertain  what  the  enemy  proposed  doing,  and  found 
they  had  returned  to  Memphis.  It  was  a  scouting  party, 
sent  out  to  catch  any  rebels  who  might  be  found  in  the 
country. 


148  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Lieutenant  Bleecker,  on  the  2pth  of  March,  returned  to 
Grenada,  with  the  information  that  no  preparations  were  be- 
ing made  for  an  immediate  movement.  About  the  2d  of 
April,  Captain  Henderson  reported  that  Grierson  would 
leave  Memphis  in  a  few  days  to  go  in  the  direction  of  Bald- 
win, thence  through  the  prairie  country.  General  Chalmers, 
in  order  to  prevent  Grierson  from  doing  so,  moved  into  West 
Tennessee  with  all  his  force,  except  four  companies  left  to 
guard  the  crossings.  Grierson  left  Memphis,  knowing  that 
General  Chalmers  was  north  of  him,  and  proceeded  toward 
Okalona.  General  Forrest  was  at  the  same  time  returning 
from  his  raid.  Colonel  Crews,  with  McDonald's  Battalion, 
met  Grierson,  and  attacked  him  with  so  much  vigor  that  he 
returned  to  Memphis.  Lieutenant  Bleecker  did  not  see  the 
fight  made  by  McDonald's  Battalion  on  that  occasion,  there- 
fore, can  not  remember  the  details  sufficiently  to  do  justice 
to  those  heroic  and  invincible  men,  but  it  was  represented 
as  a  brilliant  fight,  and  some  one  of  that  band  should  write 
it  up. 

It  had  been  raining  heavily  for  two  days  before  General 
Chalmers  reached  Rocky  Ford,  where  he  crossed  the  Talla- 
hatchie,  and  the  river  was  so  swollen  that  we  were  delayed 
several  hours  before  it  was  low  enough  to  cross.  The  men 
lounged  about,  grazing  their  horses,  telling  stories,  and  whiling 
away  the  time  in  pleasantry  and  freedom. 

Colonel  Casey  Young  was  displaying  a  two  dollar  green- 
back,.when  Lieutenant  J.  A.  Taylor  (the  late  lamented  United 
States  district  attorney  for  West  Tennessee)  remarked  that  he 
had  a  dollar  greenback.  Colonel  Young  proposed  to  play 
Taylor  a  game  of  seven-up  for  both  bills.  It  was  agreed  and 


IN  THE   CONFEDERA  TE  ARMY.  149 

they  straddled  a  log  for  the  contest.  Crowds  of  men  gathered 
about  to  watch  the  game,  displaying  as  much  interest  as  men 
usually  do  at  a  horse  race.  The  crowd  was  divided  ;  both 
gentlemen  had  their  backers  and  partisans.  Bets  were  offered 
by  the  Young  men,  which  were  taken  by  the  Taylor  men, 
and  vice  versa.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but  pass  the  time 
while  we  waited  for  the  river  to  fall,  therefore  the  game  of 
seven-up  was  interesting.  The  cards  were  dealt  and  the 
money  laid  on  the  log.  They  played  several  hands  and 
stood,  Young  six,  Taylor  three.  Another  deal  by  Young; 
both  picked  up  the  cards.  Young  was  bold  and  aggressive; 
Taylor  carefully  scanned  his  hand, -his  face  a  study.  The  in- 
terest was  intense.  Probably  never  in  their  lives  before,  and 
maybe  never  afterward,  was  it  greater.  There  was  a  strong 
probability  that  Taylor  would  lose  his  dollar.  Not  only  the 
dollar,  but  his  reputation  was  at  stake.  He  changed  the 
position  of  his  cards  repeatedly.  The  crowd  grew  larger 
and  larger  to  watch 'the  game.  Men  bet  all  they  had  on  the 
result.  The  queen  of  hearts  was  turned  up.  Taylor  held 
jack,  ace  and  three  of  hearts,  ace  and  four  of  clubs,  and  king 
of  spades.  A  little  tow-headed  boy  who  lived  in  the  neigh- 
borhood was  looking  on.  He  passed  to  the  rear  of  Taylor 
and  saw  his  hand,  then  went  over  and  looked  at  Young's  hand. 
He  knew  that  Taylor  was  behind.  He  no  doubt  felt  a  sym- 
pathy for  him.  Young  was  firing  into  Taylor  and  aggravating 
him  in  every  conceivable  way.  The  boy  took  a  second  care- 
ful look  at  Young's  hand,  and  said  to  Taylor,  "  Mister,  don't 
you  be  feared,  he  aynt  got  nary  one."  The  words  barely 
passed  his  lips,  when  the  colonel  slapped  him  entirely  over, 
and  fell  off  the  log  himself,  which  saved  the  boy.  I  think 


150  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

he  would  have  thrown  him  in  the  river  had  he  caught  him. 
But  the  boy  was  fleet  and  realized  the  value  of  the  gift  just 
at  that  time.  The  hand  was  played.  Taylor  made  high, 
low,  jack,  and  game.  A  yell  went  up  from  Taylor's  crowd 
as  he  raked  in  the  greenbacks. 

The  tow-headed  boy,  who  had  been  watching  from  a  safe 
distance,  hallowed  out,  "I'm  glad  unit;  I'm  glad  tin  it." 
Every  thing  was  lost  to  Colonel  Young,  except  the  colt  and 
"Uncle  Bedney."  His  reputation  was  gone.  He  felt  he 
was  ruined.  He  had  practiced  seven-up  by  the  dim  light  of 
the  camp-fire,  had  made  a  reputation,  and  had  nursed  it 
tenderly,  but,  like  all  things  earthly,  it  was  swept  away. 
These  reflections  no  doubt  passed  through  his  mind  as  he 
walked  over  where  "  Uncle  Bedney"  stood  grazing  the  colt. 
The  tow-headed  boy  recognized  him,  and  said  again,  "I'm 
durned  glad  un  it."  But  he  was  sorry  that  minute  he  said  it. 
He  smelled  sulphur  and  brimstone.  Great  volumes  rolled 
out  of  the  colonel's  mouth.  Taylor  was  the  hero  of  the 
hour.  His  crowd  followed  him  about,  offering  to  back  him 
with  all  they  had. 

We  soon  crossed  the  river  and  moved  toward  Jackson, 
where  in  a  few  days  we  met  General  Forrest,  with  the  Sev- 
enth Tennessee  and  McDonald's  Battalion.  He  reached  us 
in  advance  of  Buford's  division.  We  spent  several  days  very 
pleasantly  at  Jackson.  General  Forrest  was  told  by  citizens 
living  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Pillow,  that  bands  of  Federal 
and  negro  soldiers  made  frequent  raids  through  the  country, 
robbing  people  of  any  thing  they  could  find,  and  insulting  in 
the  grossest  possible  manner  any  lady  who  protested  against 
their  action.  The  negro  soldiers  were  especially  insulting  to 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  151 

the  wives  and  families  of  Confederate  soldiers.  In  some 
cases,  they  committed  an  unpardonable,  brutish,  and  fiendish 
crime  on  ladies.  Numbers  of  our  men  lived  in  that  country, 
and  they  joined  in  the  appeal  to  General  Forrest  to  give 
them  protection.  He  decided  to  do  so,  and  early  on  the 
morning  of  April  n,  1864,  General  Chalmers,  with  McCul- 
loch's  and  Bell's  brigades  and  Walton's  battery,  marched  out 
to  clear  the  country  of  the  rascals.  Before  day  on  the  morn- 
ing of  April  1 2th,  we  halted  in  front  of  Fort  Pillow.  It  had 
been  raining  all  night,  and  was  so  dark  it  was  difficult  to  keep 
the  road,  or  even  see  the  men  beside  you.  The  advance 
guard  was  accompanied  by  an  old  gentleman  who  lived  near 
Fort  Pillow.  He  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  ground. 
The  advance  guard  passed  around  to  the  rear  of  the  Federal 
pickets,  who  were  captured  without  firing  a  gun,  and  as  soon 
as  this  was  accomplished,  General  Chalmers  pressed  rapidly 
forward  with  McCulloch's  brigade  and  took  possession  of  the 
outer  works.  These  ditches  were  built  by  our  own  people, 
before  Fort  Pillow  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Federals.  In- 
side of  them,  other  and  better  works  had  been  thrown  up. 
General  Chalmers  directed  McCulloch  to  extend  his  lines 
toward  the  river,  and  Bell  was  sent  on  the  north  side,  with 
instructions  to  open  the  fight,  which  would  engage  the  atten- 
tion of  the  enemy  and  enable  McCulloch  to  advance  and  secure 
a  position  under  the  enemy's  guns.  Bell  could  not,  however, 
make  the  attack  as  soon  as  was  expected,  on  account  of  the 
very  rough  ground,  so  General  Chalmers  ordered  "Colonel 
Black  Bob"  to  advance.  He  did  so,  and  secured  the  pro- 
tection of  a  lot  of  cabins  just  outside  the  fort.  Just  at  that 
time  General  Forrest  reached  us.  He  conferred  with  Gen- 


152  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

eral  Chalmers,  who  advised  him  of  the  situation.  The  enemy 
felt  perfectly  secure,  and  had  no  idea  that  any  force  could 
successfully  storm  their  position.  They  waved  their  hats, 
telling  our  men:  "Come  on,  you  dirty  rebels."  The  negro 
soldiers  were  particularly  offensive  in  offering  banters. 

General  Forrest  saw  the  invitations  and  banters,  and  de- 
termined to  accommodate  the  scoundrels.  He  ordered  the 
line  to  advance,  and  our  men  pushed  forward  across  the  gul- 
lies and  over  the  rough  ground,  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the 
fort.  The  negro  soldiers  had  been  given  all  the  whisky  they 
could  drink,  and  were  told  that  no  rebel  troops  could  ever 
enter  Fort  Pillow.  They  exposed  themselves  above  the 
works,  firing  at  our  line,  and  cursing  and  daring  us  to  come 
on.  We  reached  the  ditch  just  under  the  big  fort,  which 
was  below  the  big  guns,  and  so  near  them  that  they  could  not 
be  depressed  sufficiently  to  damage  us.  While  in  this  posi- 
tion, General  Forrest  said  to  General  Chalmers:  "We  better 
give  them  a  chance  to  surrender."  General  Chalmers  then 
said  to  Captain  W.  A.  Goodman,  his  adjutant-general:  "Tie 
your  handkerchief  on  a  stick,  and  we  will  put  you  over  the 
wall.  Tell  Major  Booth,  General  Forrest  desires  to  avoid 
any  sacrifice  of  life,  and  therefore  will  give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  surrender.  If  he  refuses,  say  to  him,  the  men  are 
in  no  humor  to  be  brought  face  to  face  with  the  negro  sol- 
diers who  have  insulted  their  families."  Captain  Goodman 
found  that  Major  Booth  had  been  killed,  and  that  a  Major 
W.  F.  Bradford,  of  the  Thirteenth  Tennessee  Battalion,  was 
in  command.  Bradford  delayed  his  answer  fully  an  hour, 
believing,  no  doubt,  that  the  firing  had  attracted  the  attention 
of  some  of  the  Federal  gun-boats,  and  that  they  would  come 


IN  7 HE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  153 

to  his  assistance.  General  Forrest  knew  his  game,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  an  hour,  said:  "Tell  him  I  will  give  him 
twenty  minutes,  and  that  is  all  I  will  give.  If  he  does  not 
surrender,  I  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  my 
men.  Tell  him  this  plainly."  While  we  waited  for  the  end 
of  the  twenty  minutes,  and  it  seemed  about  two  hours,  we 
could  see  the  smoke  from  several  boats  coming  up  the 
river.  As  the  front  boat  turned  the  bend,  we  saw  she  was 
loaded  with  troops.  There  was  also  a  gun-boat  anchored  out 
in  the  river.  She  was  the  "  New  Era."  She  did  not  move, 
but  the  steamboat  passed  by  the  fort,  loaded  with  infantry 
and  a  battery  of  artillery.  The  negroes  in  the  fort  looked 
down  at  us,  and  snarled  and  cursed  the  rebels.  Finally, 
Captain  Goodman,  at  the  end  of  the  time  granted,  returned 
to  say  they  would  not  surrender.  General  Forrest,  up  to 
this  time,  did  not  seem  to  be  much  concerned  or  in  any  wise 
disturbed,  but  he  changed  in  a  second.  He  said:  "General 
Chalmers,  tell  your  men  to  plant  their  flags  on  that  cursed 
fort,  and  take  what  they  find."  He  moved  along  the  line  in 
the  ditch,  talking  to  the  men,  saying:  "At  'em!  at  'em!" 
He  was  the  incarnation  of  all  the  destructive  powers  on 
earth.  He  was  to  a  battle  what  a  cyclone  is  to  an  April 
shower.  His  voice  could.be  heard  by  the  Yankees.  No 
doubt  they  trembled,  as  later  events  proved. 

The  guns  on  the  fort  looked  savage.  General  Chalmers 
told  McCulloch  to  designate  one  regiment  to  open  on  the 
fort  and  keep  the  enemy  back,  while  the  balance  went  over 
the  bank.  General  Forrest  called  out:  "Blow  the  charge, 
Gaus,  blow  the  charge."  The  impetuosity  of  the  attack  was 
remarkable.  The  men  had  stood  by  and  heard  and  saw  what 


154  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

was  going  on.  Their  families  and  friends  had  been  insulted 
and  outraged.  They  were  ready  and  eager  to  avenge  those 
wrongs,  and,  before  the  enemy  had  any  thought  on  the  sub- 
ject, those  ragged  rebels  were  climbing  and  pushing  each 
other  over  the  wall.  The  outside  of  the  fort  was  in  ridges, 
caused  by  heavy  rains  washing  out  gullies.  These  afforded 
hand  holds  to  the  men  in  climbing  up.  As  soon  as  our  men 
began  to  mount  the  top  of  the  fort,  the  garrison  took  to  their 
heels.  They  wanted  to  reach  the  water's  edge,  so  they  could 
secure  the  protection  of  the  gun-boat.  They  had  been  told 
that  the  rebels  could  not  get  over  the  works  and  into  the 
fort,  and  did  not  believe  they  could,  but  the  sight  of  the 
"Johnnies"  was  a  flat  contradiction  of  the  blustering  lie. 
They  ran  with  all  their  speed.  Our  men  called  on  them  to 
halt,  firing  at  them  as  they  ran.  Not  one,  however,  would 
halt,  unless  a  bullet  caught  him.  They  ran  to  the  high  bluff 
and  jumped  over.  Those  who  did  never  knew  what  the  end 
was.  They  were  too  flat  to  bury.  The  gun-boat  made  no 
effort  to  help  them,  neither  did  the  steamboat,  with  the 
troops  on  board,  make  a  landing.  Why,  we  could  never  im- 
agine. They  could  have  made  it  awfully  hot  for  us.  The 
negroes  went  over  the  bluff  like  sheep  going  through  a  gate. 
They  would  jump  as  high  as  they  could.  They  would  not 
surrender.  Both  Generals  Forrest  and  Chalmers,  seeing  the 
panic,  called  on  the  men  to  cease  firing,  and  after  a  few  min- 
utes succeeded  in  restoring  order.  From  the  time  Captain 
Goodman  reported,  until  the  fight  was  over,  it  was  not  ex- 
ceeding ten  minutes.  Numbers  of  the  garrison  were  drowned. 
Those  who  reached  the  river  never  stopped,  but  plunged  in. 
They  were  frightened  out  of  all  reason.  After  the  fight, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  155 

General  Forrest  requested  the  officers  of  the  gun-boat  to 
come  ashore  and  bury  their  dead,  and  take  the  wounded; 
but  no,  sir,  they  would  not  land  among  that  crowd.  We  had 
not  over  eighteen  hundred  men,  while  the  enemy  had  about 
seven  hundred  men  in  the  seemingly  impregnable  fort.  Our 
loss  was  nearly  one  hundred  killed  and  wounded. 

After  the  capture,  General  Forrest  returned  to  Jackson, 
saying  to  General  Chalmers  :  "  See  that  the  dead  are  buried, 
and  the  wounded  cared  for,  then  burn  every  thing."  The 
Yankee  soldiers  and  negroes,  both  dead  and  wounded,  were 
lying  as  they  had  fallen.  General  Chalmers  had  those  of  the 
prisoners  who  were  not  wounded,  and  also  some  of  our  own 
men  at  work  burying  the  dead.  Some  of  the  negroes,  smarter 
than  the  others,  were  lying  flat  on  their  faces,  pretending  to 
be  dead.  When  one  of  them  was  reached,  the  men  began  to 
dig  his  grave  near  where  he  lay.  He  raised  his  head  just  a 
little,  and  said:  "  Marster,  for  God's  sake,  spare  me;  I 
did  n't  want  to  leave  home ;  dey  'scripted  me.  Spare  me, 
marster,  and  take  me  home.  Dey  'scripted  me."  He  was 
spared,  and  many  others  in  the  same  way.  In  fact,  not  one  of 
the  garrison,  white  or  black,  was  mistreated.  But  I  believe 
that  any  other  people,  under  similar  circumstances,  would 
have  killed  every  negro  in  the  fort.  The  feeling  which  a 
Southern  man  has  for  a  negro  is  difficult,  for  others  to  under- 
stand. He  was  regarded  then  as  a  piece  of  property,  and 
when  he  did  wrong  was  treated  in  the  same  way  that  a  re- 
fractory horse  or  child  would  be.  He  must  be  brought  into 
subjection,  after  which  there  was  no  feeling  of  bitterness. 
Our  men  felt  outraged,  and  killed  every  rascal  as  long  as 


156  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

they  resisted  or  ran.     But,  when   they  had  been   captured, 
they  were  as  safe  as  they  could  have  been  anywhere. 

After  the  destruction  of  Fort  Pillow,  we  moved  via  Jack- 
son to  Okalona.  The  command  had  been  actively  engaged 
for  some  time,  and  the  beautiful  prairies  of  East  Mississippi, 
with  plenty  of  corn  and  fodder,  were  just  what  the  men  and 
horses  needed. 


'On,  GIRLS!   THE  ONE  IN  THE  MIDDLE  HAS  GOT  ON  A  CORSET.' 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  157 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

A  SEASON  OF  REST  IN  THE  RICH  MISSISSIPPI  PRAIRIES — THE 
BATTLE  OF  BRICE'S  CROSS  ROADS — A  JACKSON  GIRL  AC- 
CUSES BLEECKER  OF  WEARING  A  CORSET — A  TOURNAMENT 
AT  EGYPT — GENERAL  STURGES  PROMISES  TO  CAPTURE 
FORREST — THE  DEATH  OF  BILLY  POPE. 

The  news  that  Fort  Pillow  had  been  destroyed  gave  happi- 
ness to  thousands  of  people.  It  had  been  a  place  where  the 
worst  class  of  negroes  and  other  disreputable  characters  con- 
gregated. On  the  march  toward  Okalona,  the  people  along 
the  road  cheered  the  men  and  praised  them  for  the  work 
they  had  done.  General  Chalmers,  with  his  staff  and  es- 
cort, rode  ahead  to  Jackson,  remaining  there  a  day  and  night, 
and  stopping  at  the  hotel.  The  young  men  of  the  staff, 
Bleecker,  Taylor,  and  Lindsay,  while  strolling  through  the 
town,  passed  a  place  where  there  were  several  pretty  girls 
standing  at  the  gate.  Bleecker  always  wore  his  coat  closely 
buttoned.  He  was  walking  between  Lindsay  and  Taylor. 
After  they  passed,  one  of  the  girls  remarked:  "Oh,  girls, 
that  one  in  the  middle  has  got  on  a  corset."  Then  they  all 
laughed  heartily.  Bleecker  never  had  his  manhood  so  criti- 
cised and  shocked  before.  He  knew  he  was  short  in  many  re- 
spects. He  knew  he  had  committed  sundry  errors,  but  to 
be  accused,  or  even  suspected,  of  wearing  a  corset,  was  a 
little  more  than  he  was  prepared  to  stand.  Taylor  and  Lind- 
say rasped  him,  and  told  the  general,  and  other  members  of 
the  staff,  what  the  girls  had  said.  Bleecker  had  warm  friends  in 


158  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

the  escort  company.  They  guyed  him.  He  felt  that  life  had 
become  a  burden.  He  prided  himself  on  his  horsemanship. 
He  was  an  expert  with  a  six-shooter.  He  had  seen  three 
years'  service  in  the  army,  but  to  have  it  said  he  wore  a 
corset,  knocked  all  the  egotism,  pride,  and  confidence  out  of 
him. 

On  reaching  Okalona,  we  went  into  camp.  The  citizens 
were  glad  to  welcome  Forrest's  cavalry  back.  There  was 
plenty  of  forage  for  the  horses,  and  plenty  of  bread  and  meat 
for  the  men.  General  Chalmers  made  his  headquarters  at 
the  home  of  Colonel  W.  G.  Henderson.  Colonel  Henderson 
formerly  belonged  to  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  but  was 
now  the  colonel  of  the  Fifth  Mississippi.  Mrs.  Henderson  was 
an  intelligent,  accomplished  and  attractive  woman,  and,  withal, 
a  good  housekeeper.  She  gave  us  the  best  table  fare  we  had 
known  for  many  a  day,  and  there  was  plenty  of  it,  too.  Colonel 
Henderson,  himself  a  soldier,  knew  what  a  good  appetite  re- 
quired, and  Mrs.  Henderson  doubtless  measured  ours  by  his. 
We  spent  a  delightful  two  weeks  there,  after  which  General 
Chalmers  moved  near  Egypt  Station  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio 
Railroad,  where  forage  was  abundant.  He  made  his  head- 
quarters at  the  hospitable  home  of  Colonel  English.  There 
we  had  ham,  and  lamb,  and  strawberry  jam.  Mrs.  English 
had  a  good  garden,  plenty  of  rich  milk  and  butter,  and  all 
the  accessories  to  make  us  happy.  The  weather  was  warm 
and  beautiful.  Living  near  Colonel  English  was  an  elegant 
family,  the  McQuistons.  There  were  two  young  ladies  in  the 
family,  and  Mrs.  English  also  had  a  little  miss  not  yet  grown. 
Through  the  kindness  of  Miss  Maggie  English,  all  hands 
made  the  acquaintance  of  Miss  McQuiston  and  Miss  Fanny, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM!'.  159 

her  sister,  who  added  greatly  to  the  pleasures  of  the  party. 
While  the  command  rested  in  that  charming  neighborhood, 
some  of  the  men  in  the  Second  Missouri,  joined  by  several  of 
Willis'  Texas  Battalion,  concluded  to  have  a  tournament,  but 
of  a  different  kind  from  the  ordinary  sort.  The  ground  was 
selected  near  a  grove  in  front  of  which  there  was  a  pretty 
stretch  of  road,  where  the  riders  could  be  seen  in  the  after- 
noon practicing  for  the  occasion.  There  were  no  posts  with 
projections  holding  the  rings,  and  there  were  no  lances  to  be 
used,  but  the  rings,  covered  with  red  cloth,  were  placed  on 
the  ground  fifty  feet  apart.  ,  The  distance  to  be  ridden  was 
one  hundred  yards,  to  be  made  in  ten  seconds,  and  the 
rings  picked  up  with  the  hand.  Fully  twenty-five  gallant  fel- 
lows spent  the  afternoon  trying  to  catch  the  rings  as  they 
flew  by  on  their  horses.  The  event  attracted  much  attention, 
and  there  were  a  number  of  ladies  from  Aberdeen,  seven 
miles  distant,  to  witness  the  display  of  horsemanship.  The 
soldiers  made  seats  for  the  spectators  in  the  shade  of  the 
trees,  and  built  a  platform  on  which  the  "  Queen  of  Love  and 
Beauty  "  should  be  crowned. 

When  the  day  arrived,  the  contestants,  reduced  to  sixteen, 
were  on  hand.  Colonel  A.  H.  Chalmers,  Lieutenant-colonel 
Robert  A.  McCulloch,  and  adjutant  Wm.  S.  Pope,  of  the 
Seventh  Tennessee,  were  selected  as  judges.  The  knights 
were  arranged  in  order  and  Colonel  Willis,  the  Grand  Mar- 
shal, announced  the  rules  and  called  for  the  first  knight. 
Each  one  was  entitled  to  three  tilts.  The  knight  handing  to 
the  judge  the  greatest  number  of  rings,  should  select  and 
crown  the  "  Queen  of  Love  and  Beauty."  It  was  a  rare 
sight  to  witness  the  recklessness  of  these  men  and  boys. 


160  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

They  dashed  over  the  space  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  take 
them,  hanging  suspended  by  the  left  foot,  which  rested  behind 
the  cantel  of  the  saddle,  dragging  the  right  hand  on  the 
ground.  Each  knight  was  cheered,  which  inspired  the  next 
rider  to  try  some  new  feature.  It  was  great  fun.  The  ladies 
never  saw  any  thing  like  it  before.  After  the  tilting,  the 
judges  announced  that  "Lieutenant  Bleecker  captured  six 
rings,  which  was  one  more  than  the  number  returned  by  any 
other  knight,  and  he  would,  therefore,  crown  the  queen. 
The  announcement  elicited  hearty  cheers  from  the  crowd, 
both  soldiers  and  citizens,  because  Bleecker  was  the  youngest 
among  the  contestants.  After  the  announcement  by  the 
judges,  the  marshal,  followed  by  all  the  knights,  rode  in 
column  before  the  platform,  and  halted,  facing  the  audience. 
Colonel  Willis  called  Bleecker  to  the  front,  but  he  did  not 
move.  He  said:  "Colonel  Willis,  let  some  one  else  go." 
But  Colonel  Willis  forced  him  up  to  the  stand,  and  told  him 
to  choose  his  queen,  at  the  same  time  handing  him  a  wreath 
of  flowers. 

Bleecker  sat  on  his  little  sorrel,  frightened  nearly  to  death. 
He  whispered  to  Colonel  Willis,  hoping  no  one  would  hear 
the  name.  The  colonel  called  in  a  loud  voice:  "Will  Miss 
Fannie  McQuiston  please  come  to  the  stand."  Miss  Fannie 
had  no  idea  of  going,  but  her  friends  finally  made  her  do  so. 
Bleecker  had  known  Miss  Fannie  only  a  short  time,  but  he 
had  a  high  regard  for  her.  She  was  being  escorted  to  the 
stand  by  Colonel  Chalmers;  Bleecker  waited  until  they  were 
within  ten  feet  of  the  stand,  when  he  threw  the  crown  to  her, 
and  put  spurs  to  his  horse.  He  was  014  of  sight  before  any  one 
knew  what  he  was  about.  But  that  was  not  the  end  of  the 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  161 

performance.  General  Chalmers  scolded  him-  roundly,  and 
declared  he  would  never  introduce  him  to  another  girl. 
Bleecker  was  more  to  be  pitied  than  censured,  however,  for 
he  did  not  have  sufficient  nerve.  He  could  face  armed  foes 
in  battle,  but  he  could  not  face  a  bevy  of  smiling  and  beautiful 
girls. 

Toward  the  latter  part  of  May,  1864,  General  Chalmers 
was  ordered  to  move  to  Monte  Vallo,  Alabama,  to  defend 
the  iron  works,  on  the  North  and  South  Alabama  Railroad, 
against  a  raid  supposed  to  be  contemplated  for  their  destruc- 
tion. We  remained  in  that  section  for  a  few  days,  and  about 
the  loth  of  June,  received  orders  to  move  back  to  Columbus 
with  all  possible  dispatch.  Every  thing  was  gotten  ready, 
and  we  began  the  march  the  following  morning.  General 
Sturgis,  in  the  meantime,  with  a  finely-equipped  army  of  nine 
thousand  cavalry  and  infantry,  twenty-five  pieces  of  artillery, 
and  several  hundred  wagons,  left  Memphis  to  clean  up  For- 
rest, and  destroy  our  bread  supply,  a  feat  which  several 
Federal  generals  had  started  out  to  accomplish,  but  none  had 
succeeded  in  performing.  General  Sturgis  stated  to  a  lady, 
at  whose  house  near  Salem  he  remained  all  night  on  his  down 
trip,  that  he  was  after  Forrest  this  time,  and  if  he  would  stand 
up  and  give  a  chance,  and  not  run  away,  he  would  destroy  his 
command  and  bring  Forrest  back  a  prisoner.  The  lady  re- 
plied: "Look  out,  he  may  send  you  back  running."  But  the 
general  laughed,  and  said  :  "  No  danger,  and  do  not  be  sur- 
prised if  I  stop  on  my  return  with  Forrest  a  prisoner."  The 
proud  and  confident  general  moved  his  army  forward  in" 
military  order,  with  every  thing  in  proper  trim.  There  was 
not  a  suspicion  of  doubt  on  his  mind.  He  knew  he  had 


162  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

three  times  as  many  men  as  Forrest,  and  he  also  had  a 
splendid  artillery  battalion.  He  therefore  went  forth  full  of 
confidence.  It  will  be  remembered  that  General  Chalmers, 
with  McCulloch's  brigade,  was  away  in  Alabama,  so  that 
Forrest  only  had  Buford's  division  and  Rucker's  brigade, 
some  three  thousand  all  told,  to  meet  that  picked  army,  and 
its  haughty  and  boastful  commander.  The  forces  met  at 
what  is  called  Brice's  Cross  Roads,  where  the  Ripley  and 
Guntown  roads  intersect,  four  miles  west  of  Baldwin,  a  sta- 
tion on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad.  In  General  Sturgis' 
command  were  two  regiments  of  negroes,  who  had  taken  an 
oath  on  their  knees  before  leaving  Memphis,  in  the  presence 
of  General  Hurlbut,  that  they  would  avenge  Fort  Pillow. 
That  they  would  take  no  prisoners.  They  wore  badges  on 
their  breasts,  ' '  Remember  Fort  Pillow.  Death  to  Forrest  and 
his  men."  Our  men  were  not  aware  of  this,  however,  until 
during  the  fight,  they  saw  running  negroes  tearing  their 
badges  off  as  they  ran. 

General  Forrest  struck  Sturgis  unawares.  He  rushed  at 
his  column  and  whipped  him  before  he  could  gather  his 
forces.  Our  old  ragged  boys  were  feeling  good  that  summer 
morning.  If  the  story  of  each  individual  could  be  told,  the 
acts  of  bravery  and  daring  would  fill  a  book.  Better  soldiers 
never  faced  an  enemy  than  those  who  met  Sturgis  at  Brice's 
Cross  Roads.  There  was  no  hesitation,  but  when  the  order 
was  given  to  charge,  each  man  went  to  work  as  if  the  result 
depended  on  his  individual  efforts.  They  charged  in  front 
and  on  the  flank.  The  advance  guard  of  Sturgis  was  thrown 
back  in  great  confusion  on  his  main  column.  His  cavalry 
rampled  down  his  infantry,  followed  by  the  invincible  band, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  163 

of  Forrest,  which  rode  them  to  death  or  capture.  Wagons 
were  capsized,  the  horses  cut  loose  and  used  to  escape  on. 
The  artillery  was  tumbled  against  trees  or  left  in  the  road. 
There  was  never  such  a  panic  and  such  a  rout  before.  Most 
of  the  cavalry  escaped,  but  the  infantry  were  either  killed, 
wounded,  or  captured.  The  negroes,  such  as  were  not 
killed,  took  to  the  woods  and  ran  for  their  lives.  They  tore 
their  badges  off  and  threw  them  away.  The  oath  they  took 
before  leaving  Memphis  must  have  been  taken  with  a  reser- 
vation. Our  loss  was  serious,  about  one  hundred  and  thirty 
killed  and  some  five  hundred  wounded.  We  lost  some  grand 
and  glorious  men,  whose  names  should  be  written  on  the 
lintels  of  the  eternal  city.  The  enemy's  loss  was  terrible. 
One  thousand  nine  hundred  and  seventy  killed,  besides  the 
loss  of  over  two  thousand  prisoners,  including  the  wounded, 
fully  one  thousand  more  than  Forrest's  entire  force.  We 
also  captured  twenty  pieces  of  artillery,  twenty-one  caissons, 
and  two  hundred  and  thirty  wagons,  besides  all  his  ambu- 
lances. 

There  was  a  gallant  boy  who  yielded  up  his  life  on  that 
day  who  deserves  a  page  in  history.  He  was  bright  and 
handsome,  brave  and  generous,  loved  by  his  comrades,  and 
worshiped  by  a  devoted  mother  and  sister.  He  carried  hap- 
piness into  every  circle  he  entered,  and  won  the  confidence 
of  all  he  met.  He  was  as  pure  as  the  rose-bud  glistening 
with  the  dews  of  the  morning.  He  gave  his  life  for  a  cause 
which  did  not  succeed,  but  his  name  will  be  remembered, 
and  his  memory  will  be  cherished.  He  was  killed  in  the 
discharge  of  duty  while  he  rode  at  the  head  of  his  regi- 
ment. This  hero  was  ''Billy  Pope,"  adjutant  of  the  Seventh 


164  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Tennessee.     Billy  and  the  writer  were  warm   friends.     We 
often  talked  of  home  and  mothers.     Farewell,  Billy,  may  we 

"  Meet  beyond  the  river,  where  the  surges  cease  to  roll." 

The  pursuit  was  kept  up  as  long  as  human  endurance 
permitted.  The  news  of  the  defeat  reached  Salem  before 
General  Sturgis  did,  and  the  lady  was  standing  at  the  gate  to 
see  if  he  had  General  Forrest.  When  he  left  her  his  uniform 
was  bright  and  new,  but  when  he  returned  he  was  covered 
with  mud.  His  horse  was  exhausted,  and  both  presented 
the  appearance  of  defeat  and  disaster.  The  lady  asked : 
"  General,  did  you  find  General  Forrest?"  "  No,"  General 
Sturgis  replied,  "but  he  found  me!" 

The  battle  of  Brice's  Cross  Roads  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  feats  in  the  annals  of  war.  There  will  probably 
never  again  occur  such  a  victory.  The  future  may  develop 
great  generals,  but  none  will  approach  Forrest  as  a  brave, 
dashing  soldier.  In  the  humble  opinion  of  the  writer,  he  was 
the  greatest  military  man  who  ever  lived,  and  the  future  will 
hardly  see  his  like.  The  South  will  enjoy  the  distinction  of 
having  developed  two  remarkable  characters.  The  first  was 
Forrest,  the  only  commander  of  an  army  in  the  world's  his- 
tory who  never  suffered  defeat.  The  second  was  General 
Joseph  E.  Johnson,  the  only  commander  of  an  army  known 
in  history  who  never  won  a  victory. 

Chalmers'  division  remained  at  Columbus  until  the  first 
of  July,  then  moved  to  Tupelo.  Buford's  division  was  at 
Pontotoc.  General  A.  J.  Smith,  sorely  hurt  by  the  defeat 
of  General  Sturgis.  decided  to  break  up  that  nest  of  hornets 
down  in  Mississippi.  He  left  Memphis,  about  July  the  3d, 


IN  THE   COXFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  165 

with  an  army  of  fifteen  thousand  men.  General  S.  D.  Lee 
at  this  time  assumed  personal  command  of  all  the  troops 
in  Alabana  and  North  Mississippi,  his  forces  numbering 
some  eight  thousand  men,  including  about  nine  hundred  in- 
fantry brought  from  Mobile.  Chalmers'  division  was  at  the 
point  where  the  Houston  and  Pontotoc  roads  cross,  the 
enemy  marching  southward. 


166  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  ETC., 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

GENERAL  A.  J.  SMITH  CAPTURES  AND  BURNS  OXFORD — 
GALLANT  DEFENSE  MADE  BY  GENERAL  CHALMERS — THE 
ENEMY  BURN  THE  HOME  OF  JACOB  THOMPSON. 

On  July  7,  1864,  General  A.  J.  Smith,  with  his  army, 
reached  Ripley,  Miss.  He  was  met  by  our  pickets,  who 
skirmished  with  his  advance  until  he  reached  New  Albany. 
Smith's  forces  burned  or  destroyed  every  thing  in  their  path. 
Lone  chimneys  and  piles  of  ashes,  covering  a  scope  ten 
miles  wide,  marked  the  desolation  he  made.  McCulloch 
was  sent  to  Pontotoc  on  July  the  loth,  and  was  soon  after- 
ward joined  by  General  Chalmers,  with  Rucker's  brigade. 
General  Chalmers  was  instructed  to  detain  the  advance  of  the 
enemy  as  long  as  possible.  Buford,  in  the  meantime,  with 
his  division,  was  engaged  in  watching  Smith's  left  flank. 
We  had  fallen  back  about  four  or  five  miles  south  of  Ponto- 
toc, where  we  camped  on  the  night  of  July  i2th.  The  fol- 
lowing morning,  General  S.  D.  Lee,  accompanied  by  General 
Forrest,  reached  our  position.  General  Lee  decided  to  give 
battle.  We  learned  that  the  enemy  was  moving  toward  the 
east.  General  Forrest,  with  his  escort  and  a  small  force, 
went  in  pursuit,  hoping  to  hold  him  until  our  command  could 
get  up.  We  moved  under  General  Lee  through  the  woods, 
expecting  to  strike  Smith  on  the  flank,  but  he  moved  faster 
than  we  could,  and  reached  Tupelo  without  much  hinderance. 
On  the  morning  of  July  14,  1864,  he  occupied  a  range  of 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  167 

hills  at  Harrisburg,  where  he  had  advantage  in  position  of 
any  force  that  might  oppose  him.  He  had  built  breast-works 
during  the  night,  by  stringing  a  lot  of  logs  around  his  camp, 
and  these  he  covered  with  dirt.  However,  General  Lee  de- 
termined to  attack  him,  and  told  General  Forrest  to  prepare 
for  battle.  Buford  sent  his  skirmish  line  forward  and  opened 
the  fight.  Chalmers'  division  was  held  as  a  second  line. 
There  was  some  delay  in  Roddy's  going  to  the  attack,  there- 
fore Buford  struck  the  enemy's  center,  and  was  driven  back. 
Then  Bell  and  Mabry  moved  forward,  but  were  also  driven 
back.  General  Chalmers  moved  Rucker's  brigade  to  support 
Mabry,  and  sent  McCulloch  to  support  Buford.  Those  gal- 
lant fellows  charged  to  within  fifty  yards  of  the  enemy's 
works,  but  were  driven  back.  McCulloch  and  Rucker,  both 
fine  brigade  commanders,  distinguished  themselves  on  that 
hot  July  day.  Rucker  was  twice  seriously  wounded  before 
leaving  the  field.  General  Chalmers,  by  his  bravery  and 
daring,  saved  his  division  from  panic.  Fully  one-third  of 
both  brigades  were  killed  or  wounded.  It  was  apparent  to 
all  the  men  that  we  could  not  drive  General  Smith  from  his 
position.  His  force  was  nearly  double  ours,  while  he  was 
strongly  entrenched  on  a  naturally  strong  position.  Soon 
after  noon,  General  Lee  ordered  the  whole  command  to  fall 
back,  and  we  remained  in  line  until  about  night,  when  the 
Federals  burned  the  little  town  of  Harrisburg.  General 
Chalmers,  with  McCulloch's  brigade,  was  ordered  to  again 
advance,  but  was  driven  back,  and  both  armies  spent  the 
night  in  about  the  same  position  they  occupied  in  the  morn- 
ing. Next  day,  General  Lee  moved  the  whole  force  near  to 
Tupelo,  intending  to  make  fight,  in  case  the  enemy  came  out 


168  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

of  his  strong  position.  We  waited  anxiously,  and  about  ten 
o'clock  the  scouts  reported  the  enemy  was  in  full  retreat. 
General  Lee  ordered  General  Chalmers  to  press  them,  which 
he  did.  General  Buford  also  moved  forward,  and  rode  into 
an  ambuscade  in  the  woods.  Bell's  brigade  was  badly  cut 
up,  but  at  this  time  General  Forrest  arrived  with  McCulloch's 
brigade,  which  he  dismounted  and  charged  through  the 
woods,  driving  the  enemy  back.  General  Chalmers  noticed 
an  effort  to  flank  Bell's  position,  when,  with  Kelly's  regiment, 
he  moved  rapidly  to  the  left,  and  checked  the  movement ; 
and,  notwithstanding  these  men  had  been  fighting  for  two 
days,  they  responded  to  General  Chalmers'  call,  and  rushed 
at  the  enemy  with  the  fierceness  of  tigers. 

What  a  magnificent  body  of  men  those  Tennessee  boys 
were.  General  Forrest  was  wounded  in  the  charge,  as  was 
also  Colonel  McCulloch,  and  both  were  compelled  to  quit 
the  field,  leaving  the  command  to  General  Chalmers.  Gen- 
eral Lee,  in  the  meantime,  remained  at  Tupelo,  but  when 
General  Forrest  reached  him  and  reported  the  situation  he 
joined  General  Chalmers.  Night  coming  on,  the  pursuit 
was  withdrawn.  The  morning  of  July  i6th  found  our  com- 
mand in  the  worst  condition  it  had  ever  known,  but  General 
Lee  ordered  General  Chalmers  to  follow  with  Rucker's  and 
Roddy's  brigades,  which  he  did  as  well  as  he  could,  consider- 
ing the  condition  of  the  horses  and  men.  General  Smith 
retreated,  but  he  left  our  command  in  no  condition  to  follow 
him.  The  fight  at  Harrisburg  was  a  great  mistake.  For- 
rest's cavalry  had  never  been  called  on  before  to  do  an  im- 
possible thing,  and  the  men  felt  that  they  had  been  badly 
handled.  We  were  whipped  on  the  i4th  at  Harrisburg,  and 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  169 

again  the  following  day  near  Town  Creek.  Forrest  had 
always  sought  the  weak  point  of  the  enemy,  at  which  he 
could  throw  his  whole  power  and  create  a  stampede.  Once 
on  the  run  he  pressed  his  advantage  until  he  converted  the 
stampede  into  a  rout.  His  men  were  accustomed  to  his 
tactics,  and  when  they  were  ordered  to  charge  that  fortified 
crest  of  hills,  they  moved  forward  confident  of  success. 
They  knew  our  force  was  nothing  like  so  large  as  the 
enemy's,  but  they  were  accustomed  to  disparity  in  numbers. 
They  had  several  times  routed  three  to  one,  and  on  this  oc- 
casion there  were  only  two  to  one  against  them.  They  did 
not  doubt  their  ability,  and  even  when  nearly  a  third  of  their 
number  had  been  killed  or  wounded  they  stood  before  those 
breast-works  battering  away  at  the  enemy  until  ordered  to 
withdraw.  We  lost  about  fifteen  hundred  true  and  brave 
men.  When  General  Buford  withdrew  his  command  and  all 
the  firing  had  ceased,  he  rode  away  from  the  scene  and  stood 
alone  under  the  shade  of  a  large  tree..  General  Forrest 
passing  by  asked  where  his  command  was.  General  Buford 
covered  his  face  with  his  arm,  and  said:  "I  have  no  com- 
mand. They  were  all  killed."  He  was  deeply  grieved,  and 
in  no  condition  to  discuss  the  events  of  the  battle  at  Harris- 
burg. 

Colonel  McCulloch,  after  the  fight  on  the  i4th  of  July, 
superintended  in  person  the  care  of  his  wounded.  A  man 
of  large  frame  and  strong  face,  who  had  met  the  enemy  on 
probably  a  hundred  fields,  and  was  conspicuously  known  for 
his  bravery  and  intrepidity,  was  then  administering  to  his 
suffering  comrades.  His  strong  character  had  for  the  mo- 
ment lost  its  force.  The  tension  had  yielded,  and  he  was  a 


170  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC. 

child.  His  heart  was  larger  than  his  body.  He  could  not 
control  his  feelings.  When  he  found  those  men  who  had  left 
their  homes  in  far  away  Missouri  to  follow  his  standard,  men 
who  had  never  failed  to  move  forward  when  he  led,  when 
he  found  those  men  dead  or  wounded,  he  knelt  over  them 
and  cried  as  if  his  heart  would  break.  He  said:  "It  was 
cruel.  My  poor  boys  were  shot  down  like  dogs." 

McCulloch  was  painfully  wounded  on  the  following  day. 
Had  the  entire  force  been  sent  against  the  enemy  at  the  same 
moment,  the  result  might  have  been  different,  but  we  fought 
in  detail.  Buford  was  whipped,  then  Mabry,  then  McCulloch, 
then  Rucker,  and  so  on.  General  Lee  returned  to  Meridian 
on  the  i  yth.  The  command  then  devolved  on  General 
Chalmers.  He  sent  his  division  to  camp  at  Oakland  Church, 
about  eight  miles  from  Egypt ;  Buford  to  Egypt,  Roddy  to 
North  Alabama,  and  the  infantry  was  ordered  back  to  Me- 
ridian. General  Chalmers  made  his  headquarters  at  Okalona. 
General  Forrest  was  also  at  Okalona,  at  the  house  of  Major 
Shepherd,  suffering  very  much  from  the  wound  in  his  foot. 
The  command  remained  in  camp  until  August  ist.  In  the 
meantime,  General  Chalmers  ascertained  that  the  enemy  was 
organizing  another  expedition  to  leave  Memphis,  Vicksburg, 
and  North  Alabama  simultaneously.  He  conferred  with 
General  Forrest,  who  suggested  that  he  apprise  General  Lee 
of  the  fact,  and  he  wrote  General  Lee  advising  that  all 
the  forces  be  concentrated  on  the  column  moving  from 
Memphis.  On  August  ist,  the  enemy  had  a  force  of  fifteen 
thousand  infantry  and  twenty-five  pieces  of  artillery  at 
La  Grange,  Tenn.  General  Chalmers  sent  McCulloch's 
brigade  to  Oxford,  on  August  2d.  Two  days  later,  General 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  171 

Forrest  still  suffering  from  his  wounds,  assumed  command, 
and  ordered  General  Chalmers  to  follow  McCulloch's  brigade 
and  prevent  the  enemy  from  crossing  the  Tallahatchie  if  pos- 
sible. We  reached  Waterford  on  the  8th,  and  began  to 
guard  a  river  front  of  ten  miles,  against  an  army  of  ten  times 
our  numbers.  McCulloch  and  Rucker  had  both  been 
wounded,  as  had  been  several  field  officers,  and  officers  of 
the  line.  On  August  8th,  General  A.  J.  Smith  confronted  us 
at  Abbeyville  with  twenty  thousand  men.  General  Forrest, 
with  the  balance  of  the  command,  was  moving  with  all  pos. 
sible  dispatch  toward  Oxford.  The  enemy  had  repaired 
the  Mississippi  Central  Railroad  as  far  south  as  the  Talla- 
hatchie, and  began  crossing  the  river  at  that  point.  He 
shelled  the  whole  country  for  a  mile  on  the  south  of  the 
river,  and  drove  our  few  troops  back  into  the  woods.  The 
Eighteenth  Mississippi,  Colonel  A.  H.  Chalmers,  was  the  only 
force  opposing  General  Smith.  Colonel  Chalmers  fell  back 
to  Hurricane  creek,  and  constructed  some  rail  breastworks. 
The  balance  of  McCulloch's  brigade  went  to  his  support. 
Before  General  Chalmers  reached  Hurricane  creek,  the 
Eighteenth  Mississippi  was  hotly  engaged  skirmishing  with 
the  enemy.  Colonel  Chalmers,  with  great  determination, 
held  his  position  against  an  overwhelming  force.  The  fol- 
lowing day  the  enemy  moved  his  force  forward,  and  used 
his  big  guns  with  dreadful  effect  on  the  timber.  We  fell 
back  to  Oxford,  sternly  contesting  every  foot  of  the  ground. 
Before  we  reached  Oxford,  General  Smith  concluded  to 
crush  our  little  command,  and  pressed  forward  with  consid- 
erable animation,  and  as  soon  as  he  came  within  range,  be- 
gan to  throw  his  big  shells  into  the  town.  General  Chalmers 


172  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

moved  south,  thinking  General  Hatch  would  follow  with  his 
cavalry,  but  the  latter  did  not  go  farther  than  Oxford.  The 
same  night,  the  enemy  returned  to  Hurricane  creek,  and  soon 
afterward,  General  Forrest,  with  Bell  and  Mabry's  brigades, 
and  Morton's  battery,  entered  Oxford,  where  General  Chal- 
mers joined  him  the  next  morning.  We  advanced  our  line 
again  to  Hurricane  creek,  when  the  enemy  made  a  vicious 
attack  on  us.  Mabry's  brigade  was  about  to  be  overrun,  and, 
but  for  the  dash  and  courage  of  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi 
(such  as  was  seldom  surpassed  by  any  troops),  we  would 
have  lost  our  position.  General  Forrest  knew  it  would  not 
do  to  bring  on  an  engagement,  and,  therefore,  decided  to  re- 
sort to  different  tactics.  He  discussed  with  General  Chal- 
mers what  was  best  to  be  done,  and  decided  to  take  part  of 
the  command  and  attack  Memphis,  while  General  Chalmers 
would  draw  the  enemy  as  far  south  as  he  could.  The  home 
of  the  Hon.  Jacob  Thompson  was  just  in  the  southern  sub- 
urbs of  the  town.  Here  General  Hatch  made  his  head- 
quarters, when  he  followed  us  on  the  pth.  He  entered  the 
house  univiled,  and  went  through  it  as  if  he  had  been  the 
master.  His  coarse,  uncultivated,  and  ungentlemanly  man- 
ners, satisfied  Mrs.  Thompson  that  she  could  expect  no  pro- 
tection from  his  vandals.  His  men  plundered  every  thing 
on  the  premises,  and  ruthlessly  destroyed  the  carriage  and 
other  property.  General  Hatch  sat  in  a  large  upholstered 
rocking  chair  in  the  handsomely  furnished  hall  with  big 
muddy  boots  on.  Mrs.  Thompson  appealed  to  him  to  restrain 
his  men.  He  answered  with  coarse  and  brutal  language  : 
"  Let  them  go.  They  can  take  any  thing  they  find,  and  do 
any  thing  they  want,  except  take  the  chair  I  am  sitting  in." 


IN  THE   CONFEDERA  TE  ARMY.  173 

Soon  afterward,  he  thought  it  would  be  safer  to  have  the 
protection  of  General  Smith's  infantry.  He  had  his  ambu- 
lance filled  with  pictures,  silver  plate,  china,  and  such  other 
article  as  he  wanted,  many  of  them  of  great  value,  and  all 
of  which  he  carried  with  him. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  August  18,  1864,  General  Forrest, 
with  some  fifteen  hundred  men  and  two  pieces  of  artillery, 
left  Oxford  for  Memphis.  General  Chalmers  remained  at 
Oxford,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  ipth,  advanced  all  the 
picket  lines,  and  made  attacks  on  the  enemy  at  every  point. 
We  were  hotly  engaged  until  the  afternoon,  when  General 
Smith  advanced  his  lines  again.  We  fell  back  to  a  point 
about  a  mile  north  of  Oxford,  where  we  were  reinforced  by 
General  Buford  with  his  Kentucky  brigade.  It  had  been 
raining  for  several  days,  and  the  swollen  condition  of  the 
creeks  operated  somewhat  in  our  favor.  Early  on  the  2oth 
of  August,  General  Chalmers  again  advanced  his  lines,  and 
made  a  vicious  rush  at  the  Federals,  driving  them  back  to 
Hurricane  creek.  But  the  incessant  rains  raised  the  streams 
so  high  behind  us,  it  was  dangerous  to  remain  so  near  the 
large  force  without  the  chance  of  falling  back  if  it  became 
necessary,  so  that  on  the  2ist  he  again  drove  the  enemy's 
picket  line  in,  while  he  moved  the  wagons  and  got  the  com- 
mand under  headway  toward  the  south.  In  the  meantime, 
Hatch,  with  a  brigade  of  cavalry,  was  moving  around,  hoping 
to  get  in  our  rear.  We  fell  back  to  Springdale,  leaving  the 
Seventh  Tennessee  at  Oxford  to  watch  and  report  the  move- 
ment of  the  enemy.  The  Yankees  entered  Oxford  the  next 
morning,  and  burned  the  depot,  court-house,  and  all  empty 
buildings  and  houses.  The  individual  men  scattered  over 


174  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

the  town,  setting  fire  to  every  place  they  passed.  Nearly 
every  business  house  in  the  town  was  burned,  as  well  as  some 
handsome  residences.  The  beautiful  home  of  Jacob  Thomp- 
son was  the  special  work  for  General  A.  J.  Smith.  He 
dignified  the  occasion  by  sending  a  detachment  in  charge  of 
one  of  his  staff  officers  to  burn  it,  and  he  did  his  work  nobly. 
Mrs.  Thompson  was  in  ill-health,  with  her  children  to  look 
after.  She  begged  them  to  spare  her  home.  Before  the 
torch  was  applied,  the  Yankee  soldiers  rifled  the  house  of 
every  thing  they  wanted,  and  even  a  few  relics  which  Mrs. 
Thompson  carried  out  were  taken  from  her.  In  the  town, 
carpets  were  torn  up,  rugs,  silver-ware,  and  every  article  of 
value  were  stolen.  In  the  morning  on  which  the  Yankees 
entered  Oxford,  a  number  of  our  men  loitered  about  the  town. 
There  was  a  party  sitting  upstairs  over  Avant's  bank,  discuss- 
ing things  in  general.  Their  horses  were  hitched  around  at 
different  posts  and  rings.  It  was  remarkable  what  chances 
men  would  take.  They  knew  there  were  none  of  our  troops 
between  them  and  the  enemy,  and  yet  they  loitered  there  in 
the  shade,  chatting  away  as  cheerfully  and  as  regardless  of 
danger  as  field-larks.  Captain  A.  D.  Bright  had  his  horse 
hitched  to  a  ring  on  the  sidewalk.  His  halter  rein  was  a 
good  long  one,  and  the  sidewalk  was  about  a  foot  higher 
than  the  street.  "Bud  Dillard,"  McCulloch's  bugler,  a  boy 
about  fifteen,  was  standing  on  the  corner  and  saw  the  Yankee 
cavalry  coming  down  the  street.  He  hardly  had  time  to 
escape,  but  he  thought  of  those  upstairs.  He  ran  up  the 
steps,  shouting:  "The  Yankees  are  in  town."  Down  the 
boys  tumbled.  They  rolled  down  and  on  to  the  sidewalk, 
and  rushed  for  their  horses.  Bright  forgot  his  ruilter  rein 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  175 

was  fastened  to  the  ring,  and  mounted  his  horse  and  plunged 
his  spurs  into  him.  He  bounded  off  with  all  his  might,  and 
fell  broadside  on  the  ground.  The  halter  was  broken.  Both 
Bright  and  the  horse  rose  together,  and  struck  the  street  fly- 
ing. The  Yankees  saw  him,  and  rode  for  him,  firing  as  they 
went,  calling  on  him  to  halt;  but  Bright  had  business  further 
south  at  that  time,  and  having  a  better  horse  than  his  pursu- 
ers, made  his  escape.  We  never  saw  Bright  until  next  day, 
and  he  told  so  many  tales  about  where  he  went,  we  never 
knew  positively  what  he  did.  It  was  remarkable  how  the 
crowd  escaped.  There  were  Captain  F.  Hargraves,  Lieu- 
tenant Wm.  Joyce,  Lieutenant  Chas.  Martin,  Colonel  Casey 
Young,  and  Bright  in  the  party. 


176  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER  XX. 

GENERAL  FORREST  MAKES  A  DASH  INTO  MEMPHIS — THE  EF- 
FORT TO  CAPTURE  GENERALS  WASHBURN  AND  HURLBUT 
—  MEN  RIDE  INTO  THE  GAVOSO  HOTEL  ON  THEIR 
HORSES — THE  PLIGHT  OF  FEDERAL  PRISONERS — How 
GENERAL  FORREST  FED  THEM  AND  His  OWN  MEN- 
PEOPLE  THOUGHT  JUDGMENT  DAY  WAS  COMING — THE 
NEGRO  SOLDIERS  IDEA  OF  FORREST. 

The  enemy  under  General  Smith,  ignorant  of  General 
Forrest's  movement,  advanced  his  entire  force  to  Oxford, 
and  after  burning  the  town  and  resorting  to  the  most  cruel 
and  inhuman  acts  toward  the  defenseless  citizens,  was  pre- 
paring to  move  further  south  and  destroy  that  section.  About 
an  hour  before  night,  however,  they  hurriedly  began  a 
retreat  toward  Holly  Springs,  marching  all  night.  General 
Chalmers  was  quickly  advised  of  this,  and  knew  Smith  had 
received  information  of  Forrest's  movement,  and,  notwith- 
standing muddy  roads,  moved  forward  with  great  rapidity, 
sending  Buford  ahead  with  McCulloch's  and  the  Kentucky 
brigade,  while  he  in  person  led  Mabry's  brigade.  Colonel 
Bill  Wade  was  in  command  of  McCulloch's  brigade.  He 
was  an  old  infantry  colonel,  and  had  seen  service  in  the 
Mexican  War.  Colonel  Wade  in  advance  struck  the  enemy's 
rear  guard,  just  in  the  northern  suburbs  of  Oxford.  He  rode 
at  the  head  of  the  Fifth  Mississippi,  and  when  he  reached  the 
enemy,  he  formed  the  men  in  columns  of  eight,  and  with  his 
saber  cutting  right  and  left,  dashed  through  the  Federal 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  177 

columns.  His  men  used  their  guns  as  clubs,  and  rode  over 
and  trampled  down  a  whole  regiment.  It  was  a  desperate 
charge,  but  the  men  of  the  Fifth  Mississippi  were  accustomed 
to  desperate  work.  Wade  afterward  said:  "D — n  them. 
They  have  been  running  us  for  two  or  three  days.  I  want 
them  to  know  we  are  not  afraid  of  them."  The  enemy  halted 
after  arriving  at  Hurricane  creek,  and  formed  his  line,  ex- 
pecting an  attack.  They  were  evidently  getting  nervous,  and 
would  have  retreated  in  greater  haste  but  for  the  delay  in 
crossing  the  Tallahatchie  river.  We  have  said  very  little 
about  the  artillery,  though  much  credit  is  due  that  branch  of 
the  service,  for  several  of  Forrest's  successes.  During  the 
retreat  of  the  enemy  on  the  23d,  Captain  Ed.  S.  Walton,  with 
his  battery,  performed  some  wonderful  feats.  He  kept  his 
guns  fully  up  to  the  front  during  the  whole  day,  and  poured 
grape  and  shell  into  their  ranks,  crushing  and  tearing  them  to 
pieces.  The  conduct  of  Walton  and  his  men  was  grand. 
Whenever  the  enemy  fell  back,  they  took  right  hold  of  the 
guns  and  ran  for  better  position.  It  was  difficult  for  the  cav- 
alry to  keep  up  with  them.  The  constant  engagements  for 
several  days  had  exhausted  our  ammunition,  and  the  horses 
were  worn  out,  and  they  had  very  little  feed  for  two 
days.  Further,  General  Smith  destroyed  the  bridge  over  the 
Tallahatchie,  which  made  it  impossible  for  General  Chalmers 
to  pursue  the  enemy  beyond  the  river. 

We  returned  to  Oxford,  and  found  the  people  in  a  desperate 
condition.  They  had  no  food  of  any  kind.  General 
Chalmers  sent  word  to  hurry  all  the  supplies  to  Oxford  that 
could  be  found.  Ladies  and  children  were,  in  many  cases, 
homeless  and  hungry.  Those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to 


178  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

have  their  houses  left,  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  had  to  live  on 
soldier's  rough  meat  and  bread  for  several  'days,  and  were 
glad  to  get  that.  When  the  enemy  heard  that  Forrest  was  in 
Memphis,  they  feared  he  would  get  in  their  rear.  Numbers 
of  them  knew  what  it  was  to  have  him  on  their  trail,  and, 
therefore,  sought  all  the  news  obtainable.  A  Captain  Cannon 
seemed  very  anxious  to  learn  something  about  Forrest,  and 
inquired  of  Mr.  Cook,  a  citizen  of  Oxford,  what  kind  of  a  man 
he  was.  Mr.  Cook  gave  him  a  description  of  the  general,  and 
asked  the  Yankee  captain  if  he  would  be  willing  to  pick  one 
hundred  men  and  meet  Forrest  with  the  same  number. 
"  No,"  he  replied,  "  I  do  not  care  to  fight  Forrest  alone,  with 
my  whole  company.  I  hope  I  may  never  see  him." 

It  is  remembered  that  when  General  Forrest  left  Oxford, 
Memphis  bound,  it  had  been  raining  very  hard,  and  continued 
two  days  afterward.  The  creeks  were  all  greatly  swollen, 
and  the  Tallahatchie  river  also.  The  roads  were  as  muddy 
as  rain  could  make  them.  It  looked  like  an  unwise  and  a 
forlorn  effort,  but  with  that  indomitable  and  indefatigable 
man,  in  the  lead  of  such  soldiers  as  followed  him  on  that  ex- 
pedition, obstacles  which  other  men  could  not  have  sur- 
mounted, gave  way.  It  was  necessary  to  go  as  far  west  as 
Panola,  in  order  to  cross  the  Tallahatchie.  They  rode  all 
night  in  darkness  and  mud,  swimming  creeks,  and  often 
getting  down  in  the  mud  and  water  to  pull  the  artillery  over, 
but  they  never  complained. 

They  reached  Panola  about  sunrise  the  next  morning, 
August  ipth,  where  it  was  discovered  that  several  of  the  ar- 
tillery horses  were  almost  dead  on  their  feet,  but,  after  feed 
and  a  rest  of  three  hours,  they  pushed  on  to  Senatobia  ;  arriv- 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  179 

ing  there,  the  men  and  horses  were  completely  broken  down. 
So  Forrest  remained  all  night,  and  moved  early  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning.  He  learned  that  Hickahala  creek  was  full 
with  the  banks,  and  it  was  necessary  to  bridge  it  in  order  to 
cross.  But  Forrest  and  his  band  of  superhuman  men  were 
equal  to  any  emergency.  The  writer  several  times  heard 
General  Forrest  tell  how  he  overcame  the  difficulty,  and  will 
give  it  in  his  own  words  as  near  as  can  be  remembered. 
Said  he  :  "I  had  no  idea  of  giving  up  my  visit  to  Memphis, 
nor  did  I  intend  to  lay  around  the  creek  waiting  for  it  to  fall. 
So  I  told  Neely,  Logwood,  and  McCulloch  (Red  Rob)  to 
send  their  men  to  all  the  gin-houses  for  ten  miles  and  bring 
in  the  flooring  on  their  shoulders.  There  was  a  little  narrow 
flat-boat  not  over  twenty  feet  long  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
creek.  Two  of  the  men  swam  over  and  brought  it  to  our 
side.  I  then  set  the  men  to  work  cutting  grape-vines,  which 
we  twisted  together,  lapping  them,  until  we  had  a  long  rope. 
I  fastened  one  end  to  a  tree,  and  sent  some  of  the  men  over 
in  the  flat-boat  to  tie  the  other  end.  I  used  the  flat-boat  for 
my  middle  pontoon,  and  bundled  together  cedar  telegraph 
poles  I  had  cut  down,  which  I  used  for  the  other  pontoons. 
Before  we  got  our  pontoons  in  position,  the  boys  began  to 
arrive  with  the  plank,  which  were  put  down  as  fast  as  could 
be,  and  by  the  time  the  last  man  was  there  with  his  plank, 
we  were  crossing  the  bridge.  It  did  not  require  over  three 
hours  to  build  the  bridge  and  cross,  but  I  had  to  build  a 
longer  bridge  over  Coldwater  river,  where  I  again  made  use 
of  the  grape-vines  for  a  cable.  I  found  a  lot  of  dry  cypress 
logs,  which  we  used  in  the  same  way  we  did  the  telegraph 
poles  at  Hickahala,  and  with  the  ferry  boat  for  the  middle 


180  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

pontoon,  we  soon  made  a  bridge  over  Coldwater  river,  which 
we  crossed  in  safety,  and  reached  Hernando  before  night. 
I  had  to  continually  caution  the  men  to  keep  quiet.  They 
were  making  a  regular  corn  shucking  out  of  it.  Wet 
and  muddy,  but  full  of  life  and  ready  for  any  thing.  I 
never  had  greater  confidence  in  them.  Those  were  great 
soldiers." 

When  the  command  arrived  at  Hernando,  General  Forrest 
received  information  from  his  scouts,  just  returned  from 
Memphis,  that  the  city  was  quiet  and  without  the  slightest 
idea  of  the  approach  of  a  rebel  force.  He  left  Hernando, 
and  rode  all  night  (it  was  Saturday  night),  reaching  near  the 
vicinity  of  Memphis  before  daylight  Sunday  morning.  The 
honest  people  and  the  thieves  were  all  asleep,  unmindful 
of  the  storm  which  hovered  about  them.  The  Federal  sol- 
diers had  retired  to  their  bunks  without  the  least  solicitude. 
They  knew  that  General  Smith  was  after  Forrest,  and  if  he 
did  not  capture  him,  he  would  keep  him  on  the  move.  What 
had  they  to  fear  ?  They  slept  peacefully.  No  danger  could 
possibly  reach  them.  But  how  vain  are  all  human  ideas ! 
Before  reaching  the  pickets,  Forrest  halted  his  command, 
and  gave  the  officers  instructions.  He  explained  compre- 
hensively what  each  was  expected  to  do.  Captain  W.  H. 
Forrest,  a  younger  brother  of  the  general,  was  to  take  the 
advance  and  capture  the  pickets,  after  which  he  was  to  dash 
into  the  city  and  go  directly  to  the  Gayoso  Hotel,  where  it 
was  said  General  Hurlbut  was  quartered,  as  were  also  a  num- 
ber of  other  Federal  officers.  Colonel  Neely,  with  the  Sec- 
ond Missouri,  Fourteenth  Tennessee,  and  Eighteenth  Missis- 
sippi, was  to  charge  the  camp  in  the  outskirts,  while  Colonel 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  181 

Logwood  was  ordered  to  follow  Captain  Bill  Forrest  to  the 
Gayoso  with  the  Twelfth  and  Fifteenth  Tennessee.  Colonel 
Jesse  Forrest,  with  the  Sixteenth'  Tennessee,  was  instructed 
to  dash  through  De  Soto  street  to  Union,  and  capture  Gen- 
eral Washburn  and  his  staff.  Colonel  Bell,  with  Newsum's 
regiment  and  the  Second  Tennessee  under  Colonel  Morton, 
also  two  pieces  of  artillery,  was  to  be  left  on  the  outskirts  as 
a  reserve. 

Captain  William  Forrest  of  all  the  men  in  our  service  was 
probably  best  fitted  for  the  daring  and  desperate  work  as- 
signed to  him.  He  was  a  powerful  man,  five  feet  eleven 
inches  tall,  broad  shoulders,  weighing  about  two  hundred 
pounds,  and,  like  the  general,  a  physical  giant.  He  was 
brave  to  recklessness.  He  did  not  fear  one  man,  nor  did  he 
fear  a  hundred  men,  and  yet  he  was  as  sympathetic  as  a 
woman.  He  never  provoked  a  quarrel,  but,  when  disturbed, 
would  shoot  a  man  on  the  slightest  provocation,  and  he 
would  give  the  last  cent  he  had  to  a  person  in  distress.  The 
writer  has  known  him  to  do  hoth.  It  has  been  often  said 
that  General  Forrest  never  feared  but  one  man,  and  that  man 
was  his  brother  William. 

Every  thing  understood,  Captain  Forrest  moved  forward 
with  ten  picked  men  about  fifty  yards  in  advance  of  his  com- 
pany. He  reached  the  picket  about  two  miles  out  from  the 
city,  on  what  was  known  as"  the  Hernando  road,  near  where 
Trigg  avenue  crosses  Mississippi  avenue.  As  Captain  For- 
rest rode  along,  the  Yankee  vidette  heard  the  tramp  of  his 
horses,  and  called  out  quickly  :  "  Halt !  Who  comes  there  ?" 
Captain  Forrest  answered  :  "A  detachment  with  rebel  prison- 
ers." The  vidette  replied  :  "Advance  one."  Captain  Forrest 


182  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

whispered  to  his  men  to  follow  closely  behind  him.  They 
rode  quietly  up,  and  found  a  guard  sitting  on  his  horse  in  the 
middle  of  the  road.  It  was  just  before  daylight.  As  soon 
as  Captain  Forrest  got  within  reach  he  struck  the  picket  a 
deadly  blow  over  the  forehead  with  his  heavy  six  shooter, 
knocking  him  off  his  horse.  One  of  the  men  dismounted 
quickly  and  disarmed  him.  The  others  rushed  at  the  picket 
guards,  and  captured  them  without  firing  a  gun.  General 
Forrest  had  cautioned  every  one  to  keep  perfectly  quiet. 
There  was  no  noise.  General  Forrest  followed  the  advance 
closely,  and  about  the  time  the  pickets  were  made  prisoners 
he  rode  up.  Captain  Forrest  again  moved  forward  and  met 
the  second  guard,  but  unlike  the  vidette  they  fired  at  him,  and 
ran  for  their  lives.  This  circumstance  excited  our  men,  and 
simultaneously,  though  without  orders,  they  dashed  after  the 
retreating  Federals,  and  raised  a  yell.  General  Forrest,  with 
his  escort  company,  was  close  on  their  heels.  He  saw  that 
the  silence  was  broken,  and  that  he  could  no  longer  conceal 
his  presence.  He  told  "  Gaus"  to  blow  the  charge.  At  the 
first  note  of  Gaus'  bugle  the  regimental  bugles  responded 
with  the  charge,  and  before  the  first  note  ceased  to  re- 
verberate the  whole  command  raised  a  yell  and  lifted  their 
horses  off  the  ground. 

No  artist's  brush  will  ever  paint  such  a  scene  as  that,  and 
no  pen  will  ever  trace  in  words,  language  which  can 
adequately  describe  it.  Men  who  had  been  in  the  saddle  for 
two  days  and  nights  wet  and  hungry,  their  horses  worn  out, 
now  rushed  over  the  enemy's  camp  yelling  and  shouting  like 
flying  devils.  The  Federals  had  no  intimation  that  Forrest 
was  near.  They  could  not  realize  the  situation.  They  must 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  183 

have  thought  the  devils  dropped  out  of  the  clouds.  The 
wildest  excitement  spread  in  all  directions.  Captain  Forrest 
with  his  gallant  band  of  about  forty  men,  depending  entirely 
upon  themselves,  pressed  forward,  and  ran  into  an  artillery 
camp  of  six  guns,  caissons,  horses,  etc.  They  dashed  on  to 
the  guns,  killing  or  wounding  nearly  every  man  who  exposed 
himself.  This  was  near  where  the  Kansas  City,  Memphis 
and  Birmingham  Railroad  crosses  Mississippi  avenue.  This 
little  band  pressed  on  to  Beal  street,  crossed  Main,  and  then 
to  the  Gayoso  Hotel.  Like  avenging  devils  many  of  them 
rode  their  horses  into  the  rotunda.  The  men  rushed  over 
the  hotel,  looking  for  General  Hurlbut  and  other  Federal 
officers.  They  created  a  panic  equal  to  that  at  Pompeii 
when  the  city  was  destroyed  by  Vesuvius.  Federal  officers, 
suddenly  aroused  from  sleep,  ran  from  place  to  place  en 
deshabille.  Two  of  them,  who  did  not  realize  the  situation, 
began  to  curse  the  intruders,  and  made  an  effort  to  put  them 
out.  Those  unfortunates  were  killed.  Men  and  women 
screamed,  the  men  were  worse  frightened  than  the  women. 
The  situation  was  inexplicable.  It  suggested  the  most  awful 
and  horrible  thoughts  that  ever  chased  each  other  through 
the  brain  of  man.  People  in  the  third  and  fourth  story 
rooms  heard  the  screams  of  those  below,  and  the  reports  of  two 
or  three  pistol  shots.  As  they  ran  from  place  to  place,  they 
asked:  "What  is  it?"  Very  soon  Captain  Forrest's  men 
were  breaking  open  the  doors.  Officers  hid  under  their  beds 
and  in  the  closets,  but  were  dragged  out.  They  begged  for 
their  lives.  Big  rough-looking  men,  coarsely  appareled  and 
covered  with  mud,  a  pistol  in  each  hand,  smashed  in  the 
doors,  and  were  in  full  possession  of  the  hotel.  It  was  an 


184  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

awful  situation  to  realize  on  getting  out  of  bed.  Those 
mud-covered  men  wanted  General  Hurlbut.  He  was  not 
there,  but  he  ought  to  have  been  there. 

Many  of  the  men  who  rode  with  Forrest  into  Memphis  that 
August  morning  are  living,  and  are  good  and  local  citizens  of 
the  government  of  the  United  States.  They  are,  in  some  in- 
stances, men  of  great  prominence  in  affairs  to-day.  They 
are  men  of  cultivation,  refinement,  influence,  and  wealth. 
They  can  be  seen  on  the  streets  of  Memphis  any  day,  but  a 
passerby  would  never  suppose  that  those  business-looking 
gentlemen,  modest  and  unobtrusive,  were  the  same  dare- 
devils who  rode  their  horses  into  the  rotuda  of  the  Gayoso, 
ready  to  kill  any  Federal  soldier  who  offered  resistance,  and 
who  surprised  and  captured  pickets  and  charged  batteries. 
But  such  is  a  fact. 

Captain  Forrest,  being  in  advance,  aroused  all  the  Federal 
forces.  As  soon  as  he  passed  and  the  officers  caught  their 
breath,  they  formed  their  men  in  line  for  defense.  Colonel 
Logwood,  who  followed  Captain  Forrest,  encountered  a 
double  line  of  infantry  drawn  up  along  the  road  not  far  from 
the  artillery  camp.  Logwood  was  moving  at  a  gallop.  The 
first  gray  streaks  of  dawn  were  appearing,  and  the  first  inti- 
mation he  had  of  their  presence  was  a  volley  at  the  head  of 
his  column.  Logwood  was  tempted  to  charge  them,  but  he 
knew  the  importance  of  giving  Captain  Forrest  support. 
Therefore  he  pushed  on  without  halting.  The  enemy,  greatly 
excited,  shot  over  the  heads  of  his  men.  As  he  reached 
Georgia  street,  Logwood  found  another  line  of  infantry 
blocking  his  way.  They  opened  fire,  but  at  the  head  of  the 
gallant  Twelfth  Tennessee,  he  led  the  charge  against  them. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  185 

The  men  raised  a  yell,  and  with  guns  in  their  right  hands 
raised  above  their  heads,  rode  pell-mell  over  and  beyond  the 
line,  scattering  those  who  opposed  and  creating  a  panic. 
The  Yankees  dodged  like  squirrels.  As  he  reached  the 
point  where  Wellington  street  runs  into  Mississippi  avenue, 
he  discovered  a  company  of  artillery,  and  the  men  were  hur- 
riedly loading  the  pieees.  There  was  not  a  moment  to  lose. 
His  whole  force  would  be  shot  to  death  in  a  minute  more. 
But  Logwood  was  the  man  for  that  occasion.  With  great 
presence  of  mind  and  courage,  he  dashed  on  the  guns,  and 
captured  or  killed  the  gunners  before  they  could  fire.  He 
then  rushed  on  to  Hernando  street,  and  by  the  old  market- 
house;  then  out  Beal  to  Main,  and  to  the  Gayoso.  As  the 
men  went  rushing  and  yelling  through  the  streets,  the  enemy 
fired  at  them  from  behind  fences,  from  windows,  and  from 
house  corners.  But  our  men  were  wild.  They  dashed  on 
without  the  faintest  idea  of  danger ;  nothing  but  death  could 
stop  them.  Numbers  of  our  men  had  lived  in  Memphis,  and 
were  proud  to  see  the  city  again.  Women  and  men  stuck 
their  heads  out  of  windows  and  doors,  waiving  sheets, 
dresses,  and  any  thing  they  found  handy.  They  recognized 
the  muddy  old  Rebs,  and  welcomed  them  with  all  the  enthu- 
siasm in  their  power.  Numbers  of  females,  overcome  by  ex- 
citement, rushed  out  into  the  streets  in  their  night-robes,  for- 
getful of  every  thing  except  the  present  moment.  They  had, 
figuratively,  left  the  earth  and  walked  in  the  air.  Logwood 
and  his  gallant  followers,  after  arriving  at  the  Gayoso,  re- 
newed the  search  for  Federal  officers.  He,  however,  posted 
a  squad  of  men  in  each  direction,  to  give  notice  of  any  ad- 
vance of  the  enemy.  After  remaining  in  the  vicinity  until 


186  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

ten  o'clock,  he  retired  along  Front  street  to  Beal,  and  out  to 
De  Soto  street.  His  scouts  reported  that  the  enemy  was 
concentrating  his  forces,  and  would  cut  him  off  unless  he 
moved  quickly.  Captain  Forrest,  with  that  recklessness  and 
indifference  to  all  opposition  and  danger  which  charaterized 
him  at  all  times,  decided  to  pay  all  his  friends  a  visit.  He 
was  notified  that  the  enemy  on  several  streets  was  moving 
toward  the  Gayoso,  but  that  made  no  difference  to  him.  He 
had  probably  forty  or  fifty  men.  They  mounted  their  horses 
in  front  of  the  hotel,  formed  company,  and  with  Captain 
Forrest  at  the  head,  boldly  rode  through  Gayoso  street  to 
Main,  and  up  Main  to  Union,  as  leisurely  as  if  they  had  been 
south  of  the  Tallahatchie.  They  turned  into  Union  going 
east,  and  when  about  the  middle  of  the  block  a  column  of 
Federal  infantry  turned  column  left  out  of  Second  street  into 
Union.  The  Federal  soldiers  carried  their  guns  at  a  trail 
arms,  and  moved  at  double-quick.  The  moment  Forrest  saw 
them,  not  over  fifty  yards  away,  he  fired  on  them  with  his 
pistol,  killing  one  of  the  men  in  the  first  set  of  fours.  His 
men  dashed  on  the  column  with  such  absolute  recklessness 
they  paralyzed  them.  As  Captain  Forrest  rode  toward  them, 
he  continued  to  shout:  "  Put  down  those  guns!"  The  head 
of  the  Federal  column  wheeled  to  run  without  firing  a  gun,  and 
coming  in  contact  with  those  behind,  caused  great  confusion. 
They  knocked  each  other  down.  It  might  have  been  that 
those  in  the  rear  supposed  that  a  large  force  of  rebels  was  at 
hand.  They  ran  with  all  their  speed  toward  Gayoso  street. 
Forrest's  men  continued  to  fire  at  them,  killing  and  wounding 
several.  Forrest  did  not  follow  them  up,  but  continued  his 
course  out  Union  in  a  gallop,  his  men  firing  at  every  blue- 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  187 

coat  they  saw.  The  men  hooted  and  yelled  like  Comanches. 
They  reached  De  Soto  street,  and  saw  Colonel  Logwood's 
column  going  south,  and  joined  them. 

Colonel  Jesse  Forrest,  with  his  regiment,  the  Sixteenth 
Tennessee,  had  followed  Colonel  Logwood  as  far  as  Col- 
onel Robert  Looney's  place,  on  Mississippi  avenue,  then 
ran  through  Lauderdale  to  Union  and  to  General  Wash- 
burne's  headquarters.  Unlike  the  other  column.  Colonel 
Forrest  met  with  little  resistance,  but  found  to  his  great  re- 
gret that  General  Washburne  had  escaped.  He  heard  the 
firing  on  Logwood,  and  left  the  house,  though  Colonel  For- 
rest captured  the  members  of  the  staff  who  waited  to  put  on 
their  clothes  before  following  their  general's  example. 

General  Forrest  remained  with  the  reserve  under  Colonel 
Bell.  He  knew  an  emergency  might  arise,  in  which  case  he 
wanted  to  be  in  a  position  to  meet  it.  Colonel  Neely,  who 
had  been  ordered  to  attack  the  large  infantry  camp  just 
south  of  Elmwood  cemetery,  was  met  by  a  terrific  volley. 
The  enemy  heard  firing  and  formed  line  before  he  reached 
them.  This  was  unexpected,  and  checked  Colonel  Neely's 
gallant  band.  They,  however,  recovered,  dismounted,  and 
drove  the  enemy  pell-mell.  The  enemy's  force  numbered 
over  a  thousand,  while  Colonel  Neely  mustered  six  hundred. 
General  Forrest  noticed  the  check  Neely  had  received,  and, 
quick  as  thought,  called  out:  "Forward!"  He  dashed  off 
to  the  east  and  right  of  the  enemy,  followed  closely  by  his 
staff  and  escort,  and  Bell  leading  his  command.  It  was 
General  Forrest's  intention  to  strike  the  enemy  in  the  flank, 
but  he  passed  near  a  cavalry  camp,  from  which  he  was  fired 
on.  At  no  time  or  place  during  the  war  did  General  For- 


188  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

rest  show  to  better  advantage.  There  were  several  yard  and 
garden  fences  intervening,  over  wnich  he  rode  like  a  scythe 
over  a  wheat  field.  The  cavalry,  supposing  the  end  of  the 
world  near  at  hand,  fled  in  great  confusion.  He  was  riding 
old  "King  Philip,"  before  which  no  fence  would  stand. 
General  Forrest  rode  several  paces  ahead,  as  usual.  He  held 
a  long  cavalry  saber  raised  in  his  right  hand,  and  looked 
more  like  a  devil  incarnate  than  any  thing  those  Yankees 
ever  saw.  He  was  physically  a  large  man,  but  on  that  occa- 
sion must  have  looked  forty  feet  high,  as  "King  Philip" 
mounted  the  fences.  He  captured  one  hundred  horses  and 
about  sixty  men.  Colonel  Neely,  as  above  stated,  dispersed 
the  infantry  in  his  front,  who  were  joined  by  the  dismounted 
cavalry  which  General  Forrest  drove  off,  all  of  whom  took 
refuge  in  the  state  female  college  buildings,  in  which  there 
were  numerous  windows  that  were  used  as  port  holes.  Gen- 
eral Forrest  called  on  Lieutenant  T.  S.  Sale,  who  commanded 
the  section  of  artillery,  to  throw  a  few  shells  in  the  building, 
which  he  did  with  great  celerity.  The  enemy,  after  reaching 
cover,  opened  a  hot  fire  and  defended  the  place  with  credit. 
General  Forrest  advanced  a  skirmish  line,  but  concluded  it 
would  be  too  great  a  sacrifice  to  send  his  men  against  them  ; 
therefore,  contented  himself  with  watching  Sale  make  holes 
in  the  wall  and  roof.  It  was  the  first  chance  Sale  had  on  the 
trip,  and  he  was  anxious  to  batter  the  buildings,  but  General 
Forrest  needed  him  for  other  work,  and  withdrew.  Forrest, 
ascertaining  that  the  enemy  was  massing  his  forces,  having 
recovered  from  the  shock,  sent  men  into  the  city  to  collect 
stragglers  and  hurry  them  out  to  rejoin  their  commands.  The 
commands  under  Colonels  Logwood  and  Jesse  Forrest,  re- 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  189 

turning  through  De  Soto  street,  to  what  is  now  Mississippi 
avenue,  found  a  strong  line  of  infantry,  supporting  a  six-gun 
battery,  just  to  the  south  of  the  Kansas  City,  Memphis  and 
Birmingham  Railroad,  and  extending  across  the  Provine 
place.  The  force,  as  well  as  the  guns,  had  full  possession  of 
the  road,  and  commanded  the  approach  from  the  city.  That 
was  a  serious  situation.  Colonel  Logwood  sent  Company 
"I, "of  the  Fifteenth  Tennessee,  commanded  by  Captain 
Peter  Williams,  to  take  the  battery.  He  charged  at  once, 
but  was  driven  back.  He  recharged,  however,  reinforced 
by  Company  "H,"also  of  the  Fifteenth,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  J.  M.  Witherspoon,  and  captured  the  battery. 

In  the  meantime  Colonel  Jesse  Forrest  had  moved  to  the 
flank  of  the  infantry,  which  frightened  them  off,  leaving  no 
enemy  in  front.  The  column  quickly  joined  General  For- 
rest, who,  with  Bell's  and  Neely's  commands,  was  near  the 
buildings  where  the  enemy  had  sought  shelter.  It  was  now 
about  noon,  and  General  Forrest  desired  to  retire,  and  let  the 
pot  stop  boiling  long  enough  to  allow  General  Washburne  to 
telegraph  the  situation  at  Memphis  to  Smith.  Many  of  the 
men  were  dismounted,  arranging  such  articles  as  they  had 
captured  on  their  saddles,  when  suddenly  a  long  column  of 
Federal  cavalry  was  seen  riding  at  a  rapid  gait  in  pursuit  of 
a  lot  of  twenty  or  thirty  men,  who  had  lingered  in  the  city. 
General  Forrest,  ever  quick  as  powder,  knew  what  to  do.  It 
made  him  furious  to  see  his  men  chased  by  such  a  large 
body.  He  wheeled  "  King  Philip  "  in  the  road,  and  called 
on  Colonel  Chalmers  with  the  Eighteenth  Mississippi  and 
Colonel  McCulloch  (Red  Bob)  with  his  Second  Missouri  to 
follow.  He  rode  at  the  head  of  the  great  Second  Missouri, 


190          PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

with  Colonel  "Red  Bob"  by  his  side,  to  the  right  of.  the 
road,  and  sent  Colonel  Chalmers  with  his  regiment  to  the 
left.  They  charged  down  on  either  side  of  the  enemy's  col- 
umn, striking  him  right  and  left.  It  was  a  curious  move- 
ment the  enemy  did  not  understand.  It  looked  like  spread- 
ing the  wings  of  a  partridge  net  to  drive  the  birds  through. 
They  halted,  and  our  stragglers  galloped  to  their  commands. 
The  Federal  officers  acted  with  great  courage,  and  tried  to 
lead  their  men  on,  but  could  not  do  it.  A  Federal,  Colonel 
Starr,  seeing  General  Forrest,  no  doubt  recognized  him,  and 
thinking  to  distinguish  himself  in  a  hand  to  hand  fight,  made 
a  dash  at  the  general.  Colonel  Starr  did  not  live  over  ten 
minutes.  He  was  no  more  in  the  hands  of  General  Forrest 
than  a  butterfly  would  be  in  the  claws  of  an  eagle. 

General  Forrest,  with  some  six  hundred  prisoners,  and  a 
large  number  of  horses,  then  fell  back,  going  in  the  direction 
whence  he  came.  After  going  a  short  distance  he  had  an 
opportunity  to  discover  the  character  of  his  captives,  and 
found  that  quite  a  number  were  unable  to  march,  on  account 
of  having  no  shoes,  while  others  were  sick.  He  therefore 
sent  a  member  of  his  staff,  Lieutenant  C.  W.  Anderson,  back 
to  the  city  with  a  flag  of  truce.  He  sent  with  him  an  officer, 
who  was  a  member  of  General  Washburne's  staff,  a  prisoner. 
His  instructions  were  to  say  to  General  Washburne  that  the 
prisoners  in  his  possession  were  in  a  wretched  condition,  many 
of  them  without  shoes  or  clothing,  that  he  did  not  desire  to 
see  them  suffer,  and  as  an  act  of  humanity  he  would  pro- 
pose to  exchange  them  for  such  of  his  men  as  might  be 
held  as  prisoners.  Should  General  Washburne  not  have 
an  equal  number  to  exchange,  he  would  parol  the  re- 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  191 

mainder.  Should  General  Washburne  reject  the  proposal, 
he  would  suggest  then  that  he  send  clothing  for  his  men. 
He  would  await  General  Washburne's  pleasure  at  Nonconnah 
creek,  about  six  miles  from  the  city.  Lieutenant  Anderson 
saw  General  Washburne,  who  said  he  had  no  authority  to 
recognize  the  parol  of  the  prisoners  held  by  General  Forrest, 
but  would  accept  the  proffered  privilege  of  sending  a  supply 
of  clothing.  In  a  short  time  two  Federal  officers,  Colonel 
W.  P.  Hepburne  and  Captain  H.  S.  Lee,  with  a  wagon-load 
of  clothing,  were  sent  out.  They  reached  General  Forrest 
about  three  P.  M.,  and  the  clothing  was  immediately  dis- 
tributed under  direction  of  Colonel  Hepburne.  General 
Forrest  then  directed  his  surgeons  to  examine  the  prisoners, 
and  such  as  were  found  to  be  sick  and  unfit  to  undergo  the 
hardships  of  the  march  might  be  sent  back  with  the  wagon, 
but  with  the  promise  they  would  not  bear  arms  against  the 
Confederate  cause,  or  in  any  way  injure  the  cause,  unless 
properly  exchanged.  About  two  hundred  were  turned  loose 
on  those  conditions.  The  remainder,  about  four  hundred, 
were  mounted  on  the  extra  horses,  and  the  march  taken  up 
to  Hernando.  Including  the  prisoners,  General  Forrest  had 
about  two  thousand  men  without  rations.  He  knew  it 
would  be  impossible  to  obtain  any  thing  before  reaching 
Panola,  therefore,  with  that  promptness  which  always  stood 
him  in  hand,  he  decided  to  make  requisition  on  General 
Washburne.  He  wrote  General  Washburne,  stating  his  in- 
ability to  feed  his  prisoners,  and  suggested  that  inasmuch  as 
he  would  not  receive  them  on  parol,  that  the  least  he  could 
do  would  be  to  send  them  something  that  night.  He  stated 
he  would  encamp  at  Hernando.  This  communication  was 


192  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

sent  by  Colonel  Hepburne.  About  daylight  the  following 
morning,  the  same  two  officers  reached  the  camp  with  two 
wagons  well  loaded  with  provisions.  Rations  were  issued 
to  the  prisoners  for  two  days,  and  there  was  ample  left  to 
feed  our  men  also.  General  Forrest,  desiring  to  impress 
General  Washburne  with  the  idea  that  he  might  renew  his 
atttack  on  Memphis,  gave  instructions  to  make  the  men  as 
comfortable  as  possible  for  a  few  days.  The  Federal  officers 
returned  to  Memphis,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight, 
General  Forrest  moved  rapidly  to  Panola. 

Persons  who  heard  the  sharp  call  of  the  buglers  on  the 
morning  just  before  daylight  say  it  was  the  most  awful  and 
ringing  sound  they  ever  heard.  No  one  except  the  men 
themselves  knew  what  the  situation  was.  People  were  left  to 
depend  entirely  on.  imagination.  Could  it  be  that  Gabriel 
was  sounding  the  last  call  ?  The  thunderous  yells,  the  rush 
of  the  horses  in  the  mud,  the  clanking  of  sabers  and  the  rat- 
tle of  spurs  added  to  the  awful  situation.  It  was  dark. 
Nothing  could  be  seen.  It  had  been  said  that  the  end  of  the 
world  would  come  when  no  man  expected  it,  and  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night.  Men  and  women  asked  themselves 
and  each  other  if  that  was  judgment  day.  They  knew  that 
war  was  cruel  and  spread  desolation,  but  something  worse  than 
war  was  upon  them.  It  was  late  for  some  of  them  to  do  so, 
but  they  prayed  for  their  souls.  They  wondered  if  they 
would  ever  see  the  sunshine  and  the  shadows  again.  Their 
brains  were  sizzing. 

The  caravan  which  Forrest  escorted  out  of  Memphis,  Sun- 
day afternoon,  August  21,  1864,  was  m  deep  distress.  The 
children  of  Israel,  whom  •  Moses  led  across  the  Red  Sea, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  193 

dry  shod,  were  no  more  downcast  and  discouraged  before 
the  passage  than  was  that  lot  of  Federal  prisoners.  Moses' 
crowd  had  probably  sufficient  clothing,  but  those  poor  fellows 
were  in  an  exceedingly  bad  condition.  Some  of  them  had 
on  nothing  but  their  underclothes,  while  others  had  nothing 
but  night-shirts.  Great  numbers  of  them  had  no  hats,  and  very 
few  of  them  had  shoes.  Officers  who  had  pranced  about  the 
streets  of  Memphis  in  their  gay  uniforms,  in  some  instances  do- 
ing duty  as  staff  officers,  mounted  on  good  horses  with  ele- 
gant saddles,  were  now  in  a  sad  and  pitiable  plight,  as  they 
trudged  along  in  the  mud,  their  gowns  wet  and  draggling. 
There  was  no  merriment  or  humor  in  that  party,  and  the  old 
"Johnnies"  felt  too  much  sympathy  for  them  to  indulge  in 
any  levity.  Terrible  stories  were  told  after  the  raid  into 
Memphis  of  how  Forrest  and  his  men  acted.  A  number  of 
people  anxious  to  appear  as  heroes  told  ridiculous  tales  of 
what  they  passed  through.  One  of  the  best  stories  told  was 
by  a  negro  soldier,  who  claimed  to  have  seen  General  For- 
rest as  he  rode  up  to  the  front  of  the  Gayoso  Hotel.  He  de- 
scribed to  his  companions  how  Forrest  looked  and  the  size 
of  his  horse.  Said  he  :  "I  was  er  stanning  right  in  dis  alley 
when  I  seed  him  came  up.  He  rid  his  hoss  right  up  to  de 
hotel,  and  I'm  telling  you  the  Gord's  truf,  he  hitched  his 
hoss  right  to  the  second  story  bannisters.  I  seed  him.  I 
seed  him." 

And  there  are  to-day  old  negroes  in  Memphis  who  can 
show  you  where  he  hitched  his  horse.  The  negro's  idea  was 
that  he  was  as  big  as  "  Colossus  of  Rhodes." 


194  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

GENERAL  CHALMERS'  MOVEMENT  AGAINST  MEMPHIS — THE 
REGIMENT  OF  STATE  TROOPS — PLEASANT  STAY  AT 
BOLIVAR,  TENNESSEE — ARRIVAL  AT  PARIS  LANDING — 
THE  UNDINE  AND  CHEESEMAN  CAPTURED — FIRST  CON- 
FEDERATE FLAG  SEEN  AFLOAT — TEN  MILLION  DOLLARS 
WORTH  OF  PROPERTY  DESTROYED  IN  ONE  ENGAGEMENT 
ON  THE  TENNESSEE  RIVER — OFFICIAL  CONFIRMATION — 
BRILLIANT  WORK  OF  THE  ARTILLERY. 

General  Forrest  arrived  at  Grenada,  August  24,  1864,  and 
in  a  few  days  set  about  to  reorganize  his  forces.  In  the 
meantime,  General  Chalmers  with  that  Spartan  band,  which 
so  successfully  resisted  the  advance  of  General  Smith  and 
completely  concealed  the  absence  of  General  Forrest,  fell 
back  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Yocona  river,  and  went  into 
camp  at  Springdale.  Too  much  praise  can  not  be  given  to 
General  Chalmers  for  his  brave,  bold,  wise  and  persistent 
generalship  on  that  campaign.  Confronted  by  a  finely 
equipped  army  of  twenty-two  thousand  men,  he  disposed  his 
forces  in  the  most  advantageous  manner.  It  was  important 
that  he  should  not  be  drawn  into  an  engagement,  and  yet  it 
was  necessary  to  keep  constantly  in  front  of  the  enemy,  har- 
rassing  them  in  every  way,  engaging  Smith's  attention,  and 
keeping  from  him  the  information  that  General  Forrest  had 
gone  in  the  direction  of  Memphis.  General  Chalmers'  force 
numbered  about  thirty-three  hundred  men,  but  he  deployed 
them  so  skillfully  General  Smith  believed  ten  thousand  men 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  195 

were  in  his  front.  The  attack  he  made  on  the  Federal  lines 
on  August  the  igth,  at  Hurricane  Creek,  was  sharp  and  bril- 
liant, and  it  established  forever  the  characters  of  his  men. 
Wet  and  hungry,  knowing  the  great  disparity  in  numbers  and 
equipment,  they  did  not  hesitate.  The  attack  startled  Gen- 
eral Smith.  He  felt  sure  fresh  troops  were  at  hand,  which 
made  him  exceedingly  cautious.  General  Forrest  in  the 
reorganization  placed  the  troops  of  each  state  together. 
Chalmers'  division  was  composed  of  two  brigades,  the  first, 
commanded  by  McCulloch  (who  had  recovered  from  his 
wounds)  composed  of  the  Second  Missouri,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  R.  A.  McCulloch;  Willis'  Texas  Battalion,  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Theo  Willis  ;  Seventh  Mississippi,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  S.  M.  Haynes ;  Fifth  Mississippi,  Colonel  W.  G. 
Henderson;  Eighth  Mississippi,  Colonel  W.  L.  Duff; 
Eighteenth  Mississippi,  Colonel  A.  H.  Chalmers. 

The  second,  commanded  by  Colonel  E.  W.  Rucker,  con- 
sisted of  Forrest's  old  regiment,  Lieutenant-Colonel  D.  C. 
Kelly;  Seventh  Tennessee,  Colonel  W.  L.  Duckworth; 
Fourteenth  Tennessee,  Colonel  J.  J.  Neely ;  Fifteenth  Ten- 
nessee, Colonel  F.  M.  Stewart;  Twelfth  Tennessee,  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel J.  M.  Green. 

Buford's  division  was  also  composed  of  two  brigades,  one 
commanded  by  Colonel  E.  T.  Bell,  the  other  by  Brigadier- 
General  H.  B.  Lyon,  the  former  being  Tennessee,  and  the 
latter  Kentucky  troops. 

On  the  29th  of  August,  General  Chalmers  was  ordered  to 
West  Point,  Miss.,  General  Maury  having  called  for  assist- 
ance. McCulloch's  brigade  reached  West  Point,  September 
3d,  and  went  at  once  by  rail  to  Mobile,  and  we  were  de- 


196  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC. 

prived  of  the  services  of  that  splendid  command  until  after 
the  Nashville  campaign.  Before  any  other  troops  got  away 
General  Maury  telegraphed  that  the  necessity  for  help  had 
passed,  and  General  Forrest  at  once  began  preparations 
for  a  raid  in  the  rear  of  Sherman's  army.  He  left  Verona 
with  all  the  best  troops  in  the  command  on  September  i6th, 
and  moved  in  the  direction  of  Florence,  Ala.  He  attacked 
and  captured  a  number  of  block  houses,  and  destroyed  large 
quantities  of  stores.  General  Chalmers  was  ordered  to 
Grenada  to  take  command  of  all  dismounted  troops,  and 
such  cavalry  as  could  be  gotten  together  in  the  state,  and  was 
expected  to  defend  the  country  against  any  movement  from 
Memphis.  He  was  advised  by  Henderson's  scouts  that  the 
enemy  was  making  extensive  preparations  to  leave  Memphis. 
He  was  well  aware  that  he  could  not  check  a  movement  of 
that  kind,  and  on  October  5th  moved  north  with  about  one 
thousand  five  hundred  men,  poorly  equipped,  to  prevent  the 
raid  if  possible.  We  marched  rapidly  toward  Memphis. 
The  enemy  had  every  thing  in  readiness  to  begin  the  move- 
ment south,  but  advised  of  Chalmers'  aggressiveness  deemed 
it  safer  to  remain  at  Memphis  and  defend  it.  General  For- 
rest was  being  pressed  in  West  Tennessee,  and  this  demon- 
stration prevented  troops  going  against  him,  which  were  now 
held  awaiting  the  outcome  of  Chalmers'  movement.  The 
army  at  Memphis  destroyed  the  bridges  on  all  the  ap- 
proaches from  the  south  and  east,  and  dug  deep  ditches 
across  the  roads  and  streets.  Breast-works  were  hurriedly 
thrown  up,  and  the  greatest  alarm  took  possession  of  the 
garrison.  They  believed  that  Chalmers  had  a  large  force 
and  intended  to  attack  the  city.  Skirmishers  were  sent  out 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM!'.  197 

to  drive  the  enemy's  pickets  in.  We  remained  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Nonconnah  all  day,  then  moved  to  the  east  of 
the  city,  as  if  seeking  an  easier  or  better  point  of  attack.  In 
this  way  the  enemy  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  objects 
of  the  expedition,  and  while  they  were  thus  deceived  Gen- 
eral Forrest  made  his  return  to  Jackson  safely.  Arriving  at 
the  latter  place  he  telegraphed  General  Chalmers  to  join  him. 
This  order  was  received  at  Como,  and  the  march  was  begun 
at  once  toward  Jackson.  Among  the  troops  General  Chal- 
mers had  gotten  together,  on  his  bold  and  highly  successful 
demonstration  against  Memphis,  was  a  regiment  of  Missis- 
sippi state  troops,  composed  of  boys  twelve  to  fourteen  and 
old  men  sixty  to  seventy  five  years  of  age.  They  volunteered 
in  answer  to  a  call  made  by  Governor  Pettus.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  each  farmer  in  the  Confederacy  gave  the 
government  ten  per  cent  of  his  crops,  which  was  designated 
"Tax  in  Kind."  A  mischievous  rascal  of  Chalmers'  reg- 
ular troops  seeing  a  little  boy  with  an  old  squirrel  rifle 
nearly  twice  as  long  as  its  owner  was  tall,  asked  him  if  he 
was  Tax  in  Kind.  The  idea  was  taken  up  at  once,  and  the 
state  troops  were  called  ever  afterward  "Tax  in  Kind"  by 
the  regular  troops. 

Just  after  going  into  camp  the  first  night  near  Memphis,  the 
colonel  of  the  "Tax  in  Kind"  regiment  approached  General 
Chalmers,  and  asked:  "Are  we  not  in  the  State  of  Tennes- 
see?" "Yes,"  replied  the  general,  "this  is  Shelby  county, 
Tennessee."  "Well,  sir,"  said  the  colonel,  "my  men  vol- 
unteered to  defend  Mississippi.  You  would  not  allow  us  to 
bring  any  cooking  utensils,  and  we  have  no  bread ;  therefore, 
I  shall  return  to  Mississippi."  The  general  knew  his  point 


198  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

was  well  taken,  but  it  was  necessary  to  retain  the  regiment 
fora  few  days.  He  said:  "Colonel,  let  us  talk  about  it;" 
and  they  walked  to  the  general's  camp-fire.  The  general's 
purpose  was  to  treat  the  colonel  so  hospitably  he  could  not 
well  afford  to  withdraw  his  regiment.  Arriving  at  the  fire,  he 

said:   "Jim,   get  to  work.     I  have  invited  Colonel  to 

take  supper  with  me.     Give  us  the  best  you  have." 

Jim  punched  up  the  fire  and  made  his  preparations.  He 
stirred  up  his  dough  in  a  bucket,  got  a  few  corn  shucks, 
which,  after  saturating,  he  filled  with  the  dough,  then  covered 
them  in  hot  ashes.  He  then  sliced  some  fat  bacon,  which  he 
broiled  over  the  coals  on  the  end  of  a  stick.  The  colonel 
observed  the  utensils  used,  and  while  Jim  was  preparing  sup- 
per, the  general  recited  the  story  of  the  "Alamo."  He  told 
of  the  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  patriots  under  Colonel 
Travis ;  how  they  resisted  the  attack  of  Santa  Anna  with  his 
three  thousand  Mexicans,  and  when  it  became  apparent  to 
Colonel  Travis  that  all  hope  had  departed,  he  announced  the 
fact,  saying:  "I  will  die  like  a  man  for  my  country;"  and 
with  his  sword  he  made  a  line  on  the  floor,  and  called  on 
those  who  were  willing  to  make  the  sacrifice  for  freedom  to 
cross  it.  "And  do  you  know,"  continued  General  Chalmers, 
"  they  all  crossed  to  Travis  but  one.  His  name  was  Rose." 
The  general  was  eloquent.  About  one  hundred  boys  who 
had  listened  to  the  story  clapped  their  hands.  Just  at 
this  time  Jim  announced  that  supper  was  ready,  and  he 
handed  to  each  of  us  an  ash-cake  the  shape  of  an  ear  of  corn 
and  a  slice  of  bacon.  The  colonel  ate  a  bite  or  two,  then 
said:  "General,  I  see  the  point.  I  can  stand  it  if  you  can, 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  199 

and  if  my  boys  are  willing,  we  will  stay."  The  boys,  with 
one  accord,  said:  "Stay,  colonel,  stay."  And  they  did  stay. 
We  arrived  at  Bolivar,  October  16,  1864.  General  Chal- 
mers was  invited  to  make  his  headquarters  at  the  home  of 
Mrs.  Thomas  McNeal.  His  family  and  the  McNeal  family 
had  been  friends  for  many  years.  It  was  an  elegant  home, 
surrounded  by  beautiful  shrubbery  and  flowers.  The  house 
was  large  and  well  ordered,  and  Mrs.  McNeal  presided  with 
an  ease  and  grace  which  is  unusual  in  this  day.  Before  the 
war  she  entertained  distinguished  people.  Mr.  McNeal  was 
a  nephew  of  President  Polk,  and  the  latter  was  often  a  guest 
at  this  charming  Southern  place  during  his  life.  Mrs. 
McNeal  was  well  qualified  for  the  duty  of  hostess,  having 
had  the  advantage  of  a  thorough  education  and  extensive 
travel.  She  was  descended  from  a  long  line  of  ancestors 
whose  homes  had  been  noted  for  open  and  unstinted  hos- 
pitality, where  the  most  cultivated  people  gathered  to  enjoy 
music  and  bright  conversation  and  all  the  pleasures  of  re- 
fined society.  But  there  was  another  feature  about  that 
household  which  attracted  the  attention  of  the  staff,  particu- 
larly the  young  members.  Miss  Irene  McNeal,  though  not 
yet  grown,  was  the  embodiment  of  the  highest  promises  of 
girlhood.  She  was  at  that  age  when  the  world  smiled  on 
her,  and  she  returned  smile  for  smile  in  the  most  gentle, 
graceful,  and  happy  manner.  She  was  bright  and  witty,  and 
as  beautiful  as  a  bird  of  Paradise.  Of  the  staff,  Crump, 
Lindsay,  Mills,  Taylor,  and  Bleecker  were  unmarried,  and 
if  the  Federals  could  have  captured  our  forces  as  readily  as 
those  gentlemen  capitulated  to  the  charms  of  this  young  lady, 
the  war  would  have  ended  in  a  short  time. 


200  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

We  smile  as  we  look  back  on  those  scenes.  Neither  of 
the  boys  had  encouragement  to  suppose  that  the  little  queen 
was  partial  to  him,  or  to  either  of  them,  but  that  greatest  of 
all  blessings,  "  hope,"  conquered  reason  and  they  lived  in 
the  future. 

We  spent  a  week  most  delightfully,  and  all  regretted  when 
the  time  came  to  leave.  Before  bidding  good-bye  to  that 
beautiful  home,  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to  say  that  Miss 
McNeal  was  not  captured  on  that  occasion.  She  is  now  Mrs. 
Jerome  Hill,  of  St.  Louis,  and  retains  her  charms  to  a  re- 
markable degree. 

The  entire  command  by  this  time  had  reached  the  vicinity 
of  Jackson,  where  it  remained  a  week,  resting  the  horses. 
On  October  24,  1864,  General  Buford  was  ordered  to  Hunt- 
ingdon, and  General  Chalmers  to  McLemoresville.  Colonel 
Rucker  resumed  command  of  his  brigade,  having  recovered 
from  the  wounds  received  at  Harrisburg,  while  General 
Mabry  commanded  the  Second  Brigade  of  Chalmers'  divi- 
sion. When  General  Buford  reached  Huntingdon,  orders 
awaited  him  to  proceed  at  once  to  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Sandy  and  blockade  the  Tennessee  river;  and  with  Lyon's 
brigade  he  went  direct  to  Fort  Heiman,  leaving  Bell's  brigade 
at  Paris  Landing.  There  is  a  long  straight  stretch  of  river 
in  each  direction  at  both  places,  which  enabled  General 
Buford  to  observe  any  movement  of  the  boats.  He  had 
Walton's  two  twenty-pound  Parrott  guns  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Willis  O.  Hunter,  at  Fort  Heiman,  and  a  section 
of  Morton's  battery  at  Paris  Landing.  General  Chalmers, 
having  arrived  at  Paris,  was  ordered  to  move  at  once  to 
Paris  Landing  with  Rucker's  brigade  and  a  section  each  of 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  A  RAIT.  201 

Walton's  and  Rice's  batteries.  We  left  Paris  just  before  the 
dawn  of  day,  and  arrived  at  Paris  Landing,  a  distance  of 
twenty-two  miles,  about  eleven  o'clock  A.  M.,  October  3oth. 
Here  we  learned  that  General  Buford  had  captured  a  steam- 
boat, the  Mazeppa,  loaded  with  army  supplies  of  all  kinds. 
Also,  that  a  gun-boat  and  steamboat  had  attempted  to  pass 
Fort  Heiman,  that  General  Buford  had  fired  on  them,  and 
at  that  time  both  were  anchored  at  the  bend  of  the  river  be- 
tween the  fort  and  Paris  Landing.  When  the  Mazeppa  was 
deserted  by  her  crew,  she  rested  against  the  opposite  shore ; 
we  had  no  means  of  crossing  the  river,  but  a  gallant  fellow 
of  Walton's  battery,  Dick  Clinton,  plunged  into  the  river 
and  soon  stood  on  deck.  He  tumbled  a  skiff  overboard  and 
went  back  for  General  Buford,  and  when  the  prize  was 
brought  to  our  bank,  the  general  was  standing  on  deck  with 
a  demijohn  in  his  hands.  Saluting  the  crowd  on  shore,  he 
said  :  "  Rations  and  clothes  for  the  boys  and  whiskey  for  the 
general." 

The  gun-boat,  which  was  the  Undine,  began  shelling  Bell's 
position,  and  this  was  the  situation  when  General  Chalmers 
reached  Paris  Landing.  There  was  a  long  open  shed  at  the 
landing,  behind  which  Bell's  brigade  had  fallen  back  from 
the  river  into  the  woods  to  get  out  of  reach  of  the  Undine's 
shells.  General  Mabry's  brigade  and  Thrall's  battery  were 
left  at  Paris.  General  Chalmers  and  Colonel  Rucker,  with 
their  respective  staffs  and  escorts,  reached  Paris  Landing 
some  twenty  minutes  ahead  of  the  brigade,  where  they  found 
shells  bursting  and  making  a  terrific  noise,  and  topping  the 
trees.  They  were  joined  by  Colonel  Bell,  who  explained  the 
situation. 


202  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

General  Chalmers  said:  "Gentlemen,  I  think  we  can 
silence  that  machine,  provided  we  can  get  our  guns  in  proper 
position,"  and  turning  said  to  Colonel  Rucker,  "  Ride  down 
the  river  and  see  what  you  think  about  it,  I  will  be  governed 
by  your  judgment."  Colonel  Rucker  returned  in  a  short 
time,  and  said:  "General,  I  can  take  Walton's  two  ten 
pound  Parrots  and  a  regiment  and  capture  or  destroy  both 
boats."  He  was  then  ordered  to  do  so,  and  with  the  two 
guns  mentioned,  which  were  under  the  immediate  command 
of  Sergeant  Crozier,  and  Logwood's  and  Kelly's  regiments, 
moved  quickly  to  position.  He  planted  the  Parrotts  just 
above  the  boats,  and  dismounting  the  men  sent  them  under 
the  command  of  Colonel  Kelly  to  a  point  just  below  the 
boats,  with  instructions  to  fire  into  the  port  holes  and  at  the 
pilot  house.  The  first  shot  from  the  Parrotts  was  a  signal. 
As  soon  as  Rucker  opened,  the  Undine  moved  to  the  other 
shore,  for  the  purpose  of  getting  into  better  position.  She 
could  not  elevate  her  guns  sufficiently  to  do  him  any  harm 
from  the  position  he  found  her  in.  The  armament  of  the 
Undine  consisted  of  eight  beautiful  brass  pieces.  She  fired 
broadside  after  broadside,  but  Rucker  filled  her  so  full  of 
shot  and  shell  that  the  crew,  who  were  not  disabled,  took  to 
the  woods.  Colonel  Rucker  ordered  Colonel  Kelly  to  take 
possession  of  both  the  Venus  and  the  Undine,  and  proceed 
with  them  to  Paris  Landing.  In  the  meantime,  General 
Chalmers  dismounted  the  balance  of  Rucker's  brigade,  and 
moved  them  under  the  bluff  to  the  water's  edge.  He  posted 
a  section  of  Rice's  battery  under  Lieutenant  Briggs  just 
above  the  landing,  some  three  hundred  yards  off.  Very  soon 
a  steamboat  hove  in  sight  coming  down  the  river.  She 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  203 

proved  to  be  the  J.  W.  Cheeseman,  and  was  loaded  with  a 
lot  of  sutler's  stores,  pickles,  coffee,  canned  goods,  etc. 
The  men  were  ordered  to  keep  quiet.  She  rode  the  river  as 
gracefully  as  a  swan.  The  men  were  restless  and  hard  to 
restrain.  They  had  no  idea  of  allowing  her  to  escape.  On 
she  came,  and  just  after  passing  Briggs'  position  he  opened 
fire  on  her.  The  first  shot  fired  passed  entirely  through  the 
cabin.  The  crew  made  for  the  hull.  The  engineer  shut  off 
the  steam,  and  the  boat  turned  crosswise  the  river.  As  she 
approached  the  landing  a  yellow  negro  boy  wearing  a  white 
cap  stood  leaning  over  the  guard.  He  was  enjoying  the 
fresh  air,  and  dreaming  of  the  future,  wholly  unmindful 
of  any  danger.  But  when  the  first  shell  from  Briggs'  guns 
struck  the  boat  he  disappeared.  After  the  smoke  and 
splinters  had  cleared  away  he  was  gone.  That  is  all  we  ever 
knew  of  him.  In  a  few  minutes  a  white  flag  was  sent  up 
from  the  hatchway,  and  a  moment  later  the  firing  had  ceased. 
General  Chalmers  called  out:  "  Come  to  the  landing."  The 
answer  was  shouted  back:  "The  wheel  is  broken,  we  can 
not  manage  her."  He  then  said  :  "  Send  a  boat  and  a  rope." 
Soon  a  yawl  was  lowered,  and  two  men  with  one  end  of  a 
rope  in  it  pulled  for  our  shore.  The  other  end  was  fastened 
to  the  boat.  Our  men  were  in  a  hilarious  mood,  and  crowded 
down  near  the  edge  of  the  water.  No  child  ever  anticipated 
more  happiness,  nor  expected  so  many  beautiful  things  would 
come  to  him  on  Christmas,  than  did  the  men  of  Rucker's 
brigade  expect  to  gather  when  the  Cheeseman  should  land. 
General  Chalmers  decided  to  protect  the  office  and  cabin 
from  a  general  spoliation,  therefore,  ordered  a  detail  from  his 
escort  company  to  report  to  Lieutenant  Bleecker,  who  would 


204  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

board  the  steamer  as  soon  as  she  touched  the  shore,  and 
guard  the  passage  at  the  head  of  the  stairway.  Frank  M. 
Norfleet  and  Oliver  D.  Sledge  reported  for  service.  When 
the  yawl  reached  the  shore  a  hundred  or  more  men  soon 
took  the  rope  and  began  to  pull.  The  gang  plank  was 
projecting  over  the  bow  of  the  steamer  as  she  neared  shore. 
Frank  Norfleet  was  the  first  man  aboard,  closely  followed  by 
Lieutenant  Bleecker  and  Oliver  Sledge.  Before  the  plank 
reached  the  shore  Captain  Wm.  Tucker,  who  was  anxious  to 
be  first  on  board,  made  a  jump,  but  slipped  and  fell  into  the 
river.  He  swam  ashore,  wet,  but  wiser.  The  boys  were 
soon  at  the  head  of  the  steps,  while  the  men  began  to  crowd 
on  the  boat.  It  was  remarkable  how  quickly  the  boat  was 
stripped  of  every  thing  worth  moving.  Barrels  of  pickles, 
hams,  coffee,  etc.,  lined  the  bank.  Neither  Delmonico  nor 
Mme.  Begue  ever  prepared  a  spread  that  gave  as  much 
pleasure  as  the  men  had  that  night.  Bleecker  and  his  two 
companions  found  nothing  in  the  office  or  the  cabin  worth 
mentioning,  and  so  advised  General  Chalmers.  Then  they 
began  the  hunt  for  happiness.  '  T  is  said  that  "  music  hath 
charms  to  sooth  the  savage  breast,"  that  art  and  poe'.ry 
inspire  the  mind  of  man,  but  for  a  rebel  soldier  a  lot  of 
"  grub  "  was  superior  to  every  thing  else. 

Soon  after  the  Cheeseman  had  been  captured,  another 
gun-boat  was  seen  coming  down  the  river  with  a  chip  on  her 
shoulder.  The  officers  evidently  believed  they  would  soon 
drive  us  away.  She  came  to  "anchor  about  a  mile  off,  and 
began  to  throw  her  shells.  The  distance  was  too  great  for 
Briggs'  gun  to  be  effective  against  her ;  therefore  General 
Chalmers  directed  him  to  move  nearer,  which  he  did,  and 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  205 

drove  the  gun-boat   away.     At   this   stage   of  the   game    it 
looked  very  much  as  if  we  owned  the  Tennessee  river. 

General  Forrest  reached  us  on  the  morning  of  October 
3 1 st.  He  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  success  of  the  expe- 
dition, and  decided  at  once  to  have  the  damage  to  the  boats 
repaired,  and  go  into  the  fleet  business  himself.  It  was  as- 
certained that  Briggs  had  irreparably  ruined  the  Cheeseman, 
so  she  was  burned.  But  the  Venus  and  the  Undine  were 
placed  in  order.  Walton's  two  twenty-pound  Parrotts  were 
put  on  the  Venus,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  W.  O. 
Hunter,  and  she  was  made  the  flag-ship,  with  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  W.  A.  Dawson  in  command.  Captain  Gracy  was 
given  command  of  the  Undine.  The  Fourteenth  Tennessee 
was  detailed  as  a  crew,  and  with  Confederate  flags  flying 
from  both  vessels,  they  started  on  a  trial  trip  to  Fort  Heiman. 
It  was  the  first  time  in  our  lives  we  had  ever  seen  a  Confed- 
erate flag  on  a  boat.  The  men  ran  along  the  bank  for  a 
mile,  waving  their  h'ats  and  cheering.  The  boats  returned  to 
Paris  Landing  without  accident,  and  on  the  morning  of  No- 
vember ist  we  started  up  the  river  to  Johnson ville.  General 
Chalmers  was  ordered  to  keep  near  and  support  the  fleet. 
We  camped  that  night  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  It  soon  be- 
gan to  rain,  and  poured  all  night.  Next  morning,  bright  and 
early,  we  set  out  again.  We  reached  a  bend  of  the  river, 
where  our  boats  got  ahead  of  us.  No  sooner  done  than 
three  gun-boats  began  firing  on  them.  A  shot  struck  the 
Venus,  disabling  her.  Captain  Dawson  then  ran  ashore  and 
abandoned  her.  Walton,  Moulton,  and  Rice  ran  their  guns 
in  position  and  forced  the  gunboats  to  retire.  We  soon 
came  in  sight  of  Johnsonville,  where  our  gun-boat  was  at- 


206  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

tacked  both  from  above  and  below.  Several  gun-boats  fol- 
lowed us  from  the  south,  and,  in  conjunction  with  the  three 
at  Johnsonville,  made  it  so  hot  for  the  Undine  that  Captain 
Gracy  and  his  men  ran  her  ashore  and  set  fire  to  her.  We 
lost  our  big  twenty-pound  Parrotts  when  the  Venus  was  cap- 
tured. We  moved  forward,  and  found  General  Mabry,  with 
Thrall's  battery,  in  position  about  two  miles  below  Johnson- 
ville. He  had  been  sent  there  direct  from  Paris  by  General 
Forrest.  The  following  morning,  Mabry  took  position  oppo- 
site Johnsonville,  supporting  Thrall's  battery.  Excavations 
were  made  in  the  ground,  and  Thrall's  guns  placed  in  them. 
General  Lyon,  with  about  four  or  five  hundred  men,  joined 
us,  and  he,  with  a  section  of  Walton's  battery,  was  stationed 
above  Mabry.  Rucker  was  opposite  Johnsonville,  just  below 
Mabry.  He  had  Morton's  battery,  sunk  also  in  the  same 
way.  Rice's  battery  and  the  other  section  of  Walton's  were 
below.  The  horses  were  all  moved  back  into  the  woods,  and 
the  men  found  protection  behind  logs  and  trees.  General 
Forrest  directed  that  the  attack  should  begin  at  two  P.  M., 
November  4th.  General  Chalmers  was  to  give  the  signal  by 
a  rifle-shot.  He  sat  near  the  water's  edge  with  a  Springfield 
rifle,  and  at  the  appointed  time  took  aim  at  the  pilot  on  a 
steamer.  Lieutenant  Bleecker  sat  beside  him,  and  saw  the 
glass  break  just  to  the  right  of  the  pilot's  head.  He  was  a 
good  marksman.  Immediately  all  our  guns  opened,  Thrall's 
first.  General  Chalmers  and  Bleecker  retained  their  posi- 
tions and  watched  the  effect  of  the  shells.  It  was  a  great 
surprise  to  the  enemy,  who  thought  our  forces  had  left  the 
neighborhood.  The  batteries  from  the  land  opened  a  terrific 
fire  on  our  position,  as  did  also  one  of  the  gun  boats.  The  big 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  207 

shells  crashed  and  tore  through  the  woods,  limbing  and 
smashing  the  trees.  The  enemy  had  a  large  quantity  of 
supplies  piled  up,  covering  about  two  acres  of  ground.  Men 
were  seen  walking  about,  some  loading  the  steamboats,  others 
merely  looking  on.  The  second  shot  from  Thrall's  battery 
exploded  the  boiler  of  one  of  the  gun-boats.  We  could  hear 
the  people  scream  as  the  steam  enveloped  them.  Gunners 
jumped  through  the  port-holes  into  the  river  to  escape  the 
burning  steam,  and  were  drowned.  A  moment  later,  a  shot 
from  the  same  battery  exploded  a  magazine,  setting  the  gun- 
boat on  fire,  and  the  flames  were  swept  down  against  the 
others,  and  these  too  were  soon  enveloped  in  a  fiery  sheet. 
This  circumstance  excited  our  gunners,  who  began  to  land 
the  shells  in  the  boats  rapidly.  Very  soon  every  vessel  was 
burning.  Men  jumped  in  the  river.  The  panic  was  fright- 
ful. Those  on  the  boats  would  run  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  then  despair  and  jump  in  the  river,  to  drown.  Within 
two  hours,  we  had  burned  four  gun-boats,  eleven  steam- 
boats, and  twenty  barges,  besides  all  the  stores  on  shore. 
The  Federal  accounts  afterward  stated  the  loss  at  ten  million 
dollars.  By  night,  every  thing  on  the  Johnsonville  side  was 
a  mass  of  ashes. 

The  following  morning  we  took  up  the  march ;  Rucker, 
with  his  brigade  and  Morton's  battery,  were  the  last  to  leave. 
Just  as  he  was  leaving,  a  regiment  of  negro  troops,  supposing 
our  command  all  gone,  came  out  from  cover,  rushed  to  the 
bluff,  and  began  cursing  the  rebels,  daring  them  to  come 
back  and  give  them  a  chance.  Nothing  on  earth  could  have 
suited  Colonel  Rucker  and  Captain  Morton  better  than  to 
accommodate  the  blood-thirsty  negroes.  He  ordered  the 


208  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

guns  in  position  and  moved  his  brigade  to  the  bluff.  The 
fire  from  the  battery  was  followed  by  the  deadly  rifles  of  the 
cavalry.  The  negroes  ran  in  the  wildest  confusion  without 
firing  a  gun.  Numbers  of  them  were  killed  and  wounded. 
After  that  brief  interruption,  Rucker  followed  Chalmers 
with  his  command.  The  affair  at  Johnsonville  was  a  remark- 
able success.  We  destroyed  about  ten  million  dollars  worth 
of  property,  and  killed  and  wounded  a  large  number  of  the 
enemy,  while  our  loss  was  the  two  twenty-pound  Parrotts,  two 
men  killed,  and  four  wounded,  the  Parrott  guns  being  lost  on 
board  the  Venus,  when  she  was  sunk  by  Colonel  Dawson  to 
avoid  capture. 

The  following  report,  made  by  General  Chalmers  four 
days  subsequent  to  the  engagement,  was  found  in  the  War 
Department  Records  by  a  friend,  and  handed  me  after  the 
above  was  written.  It  is  a  paper  of  great  value,  and  con- 
firms the  recollections  of  the  writer  almost  entirely.  Of 
course,  no  one  could  give  so  complete  a  report  to  day  as  one 
written  at  the  time,  and  which  was  official,  and,  too,  by  so 
able  and  intelligent  an  officer  as  General  Chalmers.  It  will 
be  noticed  that  General  Chalmers  speaks  several  times  of 
Hudson's  battery  in  his  report.  When  the  company  was 
formed  it  was  called  "The  Pettus  Flying  Artillery."  The 
captain,  "Alfred  Hudson,"  was  killed  at  Shiloh.  Soon  after 
the  battery  had  been  given  to  General  Forrest,  Lieutenant 
E.  S.  Walton  was  made  captain,  and  commanded  the  com- 
pany until  the  war  closed.  The  battery  was  always  called 
Walton's  Battery  by  the  command  : 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM T.  209 

REPORT  OF  BRIGADIER-GENERAL  JAMES  R.  CHALMERS,  C.  S. 
ARMY,  COMMANDING  CAVALRY  DIVISION. 

HEADQUARTERS  CHALMERS'  DIVISION,  FORREST'S  CAVALRY, 

PERRYVILLE,  TENN.,  NwemberZ,  1864. 
Major— In  obedience  to  orders  from  Major-General  For- 
rest, commanding,  etc.,  I  moved,  on  the  morning  of  the  3oth 
of  October,  from  Paris,  Tenn.,  with  Rucker's  brigade,  my 
escort  battalion,  and  four  pieces  of  rifled  artillery  (one  sec- 
tion of  Rice's  and  one  of  Hudson's  battery),  to  Paris  Land- 
ing, on  the  Tennessee  river,  where  I  arrived  about  1 1  A.  M. 
on  the  same  day.  I  found  Colonel  Bell  at  the  landing,  with 
his  brigade,  of  Buford's  division,  and  a  section  of  Morton's 
battery.  He  reported  to  me  that  a  short  time  before  my  ar- 
rival a  gun-boat  and  two  transports  had  passed  his  position, 
going  down  the  river,  and  that,  in  obedience  to  orders  from 
General  Buford,  he  had  reserved  his  fire  until  they  had 
passed,  and  had  then  opened  upon  them,  and  he  thought  had 
done  them  some  damage.  One  of  the  transports  succeeded, 
as  I  was  afterward  informed  in  passing  Fort  Heiman,  where 
General  Buford  was  stationed  with  the  Kentucky  brigade  of 
his  division,  a  section  of  Morton's  battery,  and  the  two 
twenty-pound  Parrott  guns  of  Hudson's  battery,  but  was  badly 
crippled  in  the  attempt.  The  other  transport  (the  Venus) 
and  the  gun-boat  (the  U.  S.  Steamer  Undine,  No.  55)  were 
at  the  bend  of  the  river  about  midway  between  the  positions 
of  Colonel  Bell  and  General  Buford,  and  out  of  range  of  the 
guns  of  either.  After  a  consultation  with  Colonel  Bell,  I 
directed  him  to  move  his  artillery  down  the  river  to  a  point 
as  nearly  as  possible  opposite  to  the  boats,  and  to  drive  them 
from  their  position.  He  rode  off  to  reconnoiter,  and,  on  re- 
turning, reported  that  the  order  could  not  be  executed  on 
account  of  the  ground  to  be  passed  over.  My  artillery  having 
arrived,  was  placed  in  position  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 


210  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

above  that  held  by  Colonel  Bell,  with  an  interval  of  several 
yards  between  the  sections. 

Colonel  Rucker,  coming  upon  the  field,  suggested  that  the 
guns  should  be  moved  down  the  river  to  attack  the  boats, 
and  on  being  told  that  Colonel  Bell  had  reported  the  ground 
impracticable  for  artillery,  he  proposed  that  he  and  I  should 
re-examine  it.  We  accordingly  rode  down  the  river,  Colonel 
Bell  accompanying  us,  but  before  we  had  found  a  suitable 
position,  a  courier  reported  another  transport  coming  down, 
and  Colonel  Bell  and  I  returned  to  the  batteries,  leaving 
Colonel  Rucker  with  orders  to  continue  his  reconnaissance. 
The  transport  proved  to  be  the  J.  W.  Cheeseman,  a  stern- 
wheel  steamer.  She  was  allowed  to  pass  the  upper  battery 
(Rice's)  unmolested,  but  as  soon  as  she  came  opposite  to 
the  middle  battery  (Hudson's),  the  guns  of  both  opened  upon 
her,  and  her  steam-pipe  was  cut  and  other  parts  of  her  ma- 
chinery disabled.  As  she  was  passing  Hudson's  battery, 
Colonel  Bell's  battery  also  opened  upon  her,  and  a  heavy  fire 
of  small  arms  being  poured  into  her  by  troops  stationed 
along  the  bank  of  the  river,  she  was  soon  compelled  to  sur- 
render. Soon  after  this,  Colonel  Bell  moved  his  brigade 
to  Fort  Heiman  in  obedience  to  orders  from  General  Bu- 
ford,  whom  I  had  directed  to  consolidate  his  division  at  that 
point. 

Colonel  Rucker  having  reported  that  he  had  found  a 
practicable  route  and  a  good  position  for  attac  king  the  boats 
below  the  landing,  I  directed  him  to  move  down  to  it  with 
the  section  of  Hudson's  battery  (two  ten-pounder  Parrott 
guns),  the  Fifteenth  Regiment  and  Twenty-sixth  Battalion 
Tennessee  Cavalry  of  his  brigade,  and  attack  them,  which  he 
did  with  such  vigor  and  success  that  after  a  severe  artillery 
duel  between  his  battery  and  the  gun-boat,  the  latter  was 
disabled  and  driven  to  the  opposite  bank,  where  all  of  her 
officers  and  crew,  who  were  able  to  do  so,  abandoned  her 
and  escaped,  leaving  only  the  dead  and  wounded  behind. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  211 

At  the  same  lime,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kelly,  commanding 
the  Twenty-sixth  Battalion  Tennessee  Cavalry,  attacked  the 
transport  Venus,  which  was  defended  by  a  small  detachment 
of  United  States  Infantry,  so  sharply  that  she  surrendered 
to  him,  and  the  gallant  colonel,  going  on  board  of  her  with 
two  companies  of  his  battalion,  crossed  the  river,  took  pos- 
session of  the  gun-boat,  and  brought  both  safely  to  the  land- 
ing. While  this  fight  was  going  on,  another  gun-boat  (the 
No.  29)  appeared  above  us,  and  coming  to  anchor  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  above  our  batteries,  began  to  shell  them. 
The  upper  battery  (Rice's)  returned  a  few  shots,  but  finding 
that  the  distance  was  too  great  for  effective  firing,  I  directed 
it  move  up  nearer  to  the  boat  and  ordered  a  portion  of  my 
escort  battalion  and  the  cadet  company  of  the  Seventh  Ala- 
bama Cavalry  to  support  the  battery  and  act  as  sharpshooters. 
After  a  brief  and  spirited  engagement,  the  gun-boat  weighed 
anchor  and  withdrew  up  the  river.  The  Cheeseman  was  so 
badly  injured  that  it  was  impossible  to  repair  her  with  the 
means  at  our  command,  and  she  was  afterwards  burned  by 
order  of  the  major-general  commanding,  as  were  also  the 
three  barges  captured  on  the  same  day.  The  transport, 
Venus,  and  the  gun-boat,  Undine,  being  only  slightly  in- 
jured, were  soon  put  in  repair  by  his  order.  These  boats 
being  bound  down  stream,  after  having  delivered  their  cargoes 
of  freight  for  the  United  States  government  at  Johnsonville, 
contained  no  stores  beyond  the  usual  supplies  for  their  own 
use  and  a  small  quantity  of  private  freight  of  but  little  value 
for  army  use.  The  Undine  belonged  to  the  class  of  gun- 
boats known  as  "tin  clads,"  and  was  one  of  the  largest  boats 
of  her  class  on  the  river.  She  carried  eight  twenty-four- 
pounder  brass  howitzers,  and  when  captured  had  all  of  her 
armament  and  equipment  on  board  of  her.  .  .  An  at- 
tempt had  been  made  to  spike  two  of  the  guns  and  to  dis- 
able one  by  placing  a  shell  in  its  muzzle,  but  these  were  soon 
removed. 


212  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS, 

I  have  been  more  minute  than  may  seem  to  be  necessary  in 
giving  the  particulars  of  the  capture  of  these  boats,  because 
I  am  aware  that  some  dispute  has  arisen  as  to  what  troops  are 
entitled  to  the  honor  of  their  capture.  I  do  not  regard  this 
as  a  matter  of  much  importance,  since  all  that  was  done  was  but 
the  execution  of  the  plans  of  the  major-general  commanding, 
and  whatever  honor  may  arise  therefrom  is  due  first  to  him 
who  conceived  and  then  to  those  who  executed  them.  All 
of  the  troops,  so  far  as  I  am  informed,  acquitted  themselves 
well,  but  I  feel  it  is  but  just  to  those  who  took  the  most 
prominent  part  in  the  execution  of  those  plans  that  they 
should  receive  the  greater  share  of  that  honor  which  is  the 
dearest  reward  of  the  soldier.  I  repeat,  therefore,  that  when 
the  Cheeseman  was  captured,  there  were  six  guns  playing 
upon  her,  of  which  two  (of  Morton's  battery)  belonged  to 
Colonel  Bell's  command,  and  four  (two  of  Rice's  and  two  of 
Hudson's  battery)  belonged  to  my  command.  They  were 
placed  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  Rice's  being  the  upper, 
Hudson's  the  center,  and  Morton's  the  lower  battery,  and 
the  boat  was  disabled  before  she  had  passed  the  center  bat- 
tery by  one  of  the  first  shots  fired  at  her. 

The  gun-boat,  Undine,  and  the  transport,  Venus,  were  cap- 
tured after  Colonel  Bell  had  withdrawn  his  brigade,  including 
his  artillery,  and  when  there  were  no  troops  present  except- 
ing those  belonging  to  this  division.  The  troops  immedi- 
ately engaged  in  the  capture  were  the  Fifteenth  Regiment 
and  the  Twenty-sixth  Battalion  Tennessee  Cavalry,  and  one 
section  of  Hudson's  battery.  It  has  been  said,  however,  that 
these  boats  were  badly  crippled  by  Colonel  Bell  as  they  passed 
his  position  in  the  morning  and  before  any  part  of  this  di- 
vision had  arrived,  but  in  reply  to  this  I  would  respectfully 
say  that  the  Venus  was  not  materially  injured  when  she  was 
captured,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  she  was  used  immedi- 
ately afterward  to  tow  the  gun-boat  to  the  landing.  The  shot 
which  struck  her  injured  her  cabin  and  upper  works,  but  had 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  213 

not  damaged  either  her  machinery  or  hull.  Colonel  Bell  stated 
to  me  that,  in  obedience  to  orders,  he  did  not  fire  at  either  of 
the  boats  until  they  had  passed  his  position.  This  exposed 
their  sterns  and  larboard  sides  to  his  fire,  but  the  shot  which 
disabled  the  Undine  struck  her  in  front  and  on  the  starboard 
side  and  could  not  have  come  from  Colonel  Bell's  battery.  In 
addition  to  this,  the  boat  was  manageable  and  maintained  a 
sharp  fight  for  some  time  after  Colonel  Bell  had  withdrawn 
his  brigade.  In  view  of  these  circumstances,  I  think  it  evi- 
dent that  the  greater  share  of  the  honor  of  capturing  these 
boats  belongs  to  those  troops  to  whom  they  were  actually  sur- 
rendered. 

Our  loss  in  this  affair  was  one  man  of  Rucker's  brigade  se- 
verely wounded.  That  of  the  enemy,  so  far  as  we  have  been 
able  to  ascertain  it,  was  five  killed  and  six  wounded  on  the 
Venus,  three  killed  and  four  wounded  on  the  Undine,  and  one 
wounded  on  the  Cheeseman.  Total,  eight  killed  and  eleven 
wounded.  We  also  captured  forty-three  prisoners,  among 
whom  was  one  officer  and  ten  men  of  the  United  States  in- 
fantry. The  others  belonged  to  different  boats. 

On  the  morning  of  November  ist,  I  moved  my  command 
up  the  river  as  far  as  Danville,  where  we  encamped,  placing 
our  guns  in  position  on  the  river  bank  so  as  to  protect  our 
boats  (the  Undine  and  Venus),  which  had  been  ordered  to 
move  up  the  river,  keeping  in  rear  of  our  batteries.  On 
the  following  morning,  I  moved  toward  Reynoldsburg,  in  ac- 
cordance with  previous  instructions,  but  was  afterward  or- 
dered by  the  major-general  commanding  to  halt  near  David- 
son's Ferry  and  to  place  my  guns  in  position  at  that  place, 
which  was  done.  Our  boats  having  ventured  too  far  beyond 
the  protection  of  our  batteries,  were  attacked  by  two  of  the 
enemy's  gun-boats,  and  the  Venus  was  recaptured  by  them. 
On  the  3d  inst.,  we  moved  up  the  river  opposite  to  Reynolds- 
burg  and  Johnsonville,  and  had  frequent  skirmishes  during 
the  day  with  the  enemy's  gun-boats,  of  which  there  were 


214  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

three  at  the  latter  place,  but  without  any  decisive  results. 
Here  we  were  joined  by  Colonel  Mabry's  brigade  of  cavalry, 
and  Thrall's  battery  of  twelve-pound  howitzers,  attached  to 
this  division,  which  had  been  left  at  Paris,  and  had  moved 
directly  from  that  place  and  taken  position  a  short  distance 
above  Johnsonville.  On  the  4th  inst.,  General  Buford  hav- 
ing come  up  with  his  division  and  Morton's  battery,  the  latter 
was  ordered  to  the  position  occupied  by  Colonel  Rucker,  and 
my  division  was  formed  as  follows :  Colonel  Mabry,  with  his 
brigade  and  Thrall's  battery,  on  the  right,  immediately  above 
and  opposite  to  Johnsonville ;  Colonel  Rucker,  with  Morton's 
battery,  and  the  Seventh  Alabama  Cavalry,  immediately  be- 
low and  opposite  to  that  place;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Kelly, 
with  the  Twenty-sixth  Tennessee  battalion  and  two  guns  of 
Rice's  battery,  opposite  to  Reynoldsburg ;  and  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Logwood,  of  the  Fifteenth  Tennessee  Cavalry,  with 
his  regiment  and  a  section  of  Hudson's  battery,  at  Clark's 
house,  still  further  down  the  river,  and  about  two  miles  below 
Johnsonville. 

The  enemy  had  at  Johnsonville  three  gun-boats  and  a  num- 
ber of  transports  and  barges,  variously  estimated  at  from 
eight  to  ten  of  the  former  and  from  twelve  to  fifteen  of  the 
latter  — some  of  them  laden,  together  with  an  immense  quan- 
tity of  government  stores,  a  part  of  which  was  contained  in  a 
large  warehouse,  and  the  remainder  piled  upon  the  bank, 
covering  about  an  acre  of  ground.  The  town  was  defended 
by  a  strong  earth-work,  well  garrisoned  and  supplied  with  ar- 
tillery, and  they  possessed  an  additional  advantage  in  the  fact 
that  the  bank  of  the  river  on  that  side  is  much  higher  than 
that  on  which  we  were. 

At  two  P.  M.  the  bombardment  began,  and  in  a  short  time 
one  of  the  gun-boats  was  set  on  fire.  One  after  another,  the 
others  followed,  and  before  nightfall  all  of  the  gun-boats, 
transports,  and  barges,  the  warehouse,  and  the  greater  part 
of  the  stores  on  the  shore,  were  set  on  fire  and  consumed. 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  215 

The  enemy  kept  up  a  heavy  fire  from  their  gun-boats  and 
land  batteries  until  the  former  were  disabled,  but  without  in- 
flicting any  serious  injury  upon  us,  or  forcing  any  part  of  our 
troops  to  abandon  their  position.  During  the  engagement, 
five  gun-boats  came  up  the  river,  evidently  with  the  intention 
of  reinforcing  the  town,  but  they  retired  after  a  sharp  can- 
nonading with  the  artillery  under  Colonel  Logwood's  com- 
mand. 

Our  loss  in  this  engagement  was  very  small,  but  as  the  offi- 
cial reports  have  not  been  received,  it  can  not  now  be  stated 
with  accuracy.  All  the  officers  and  men  under  my  command 
deserve  honorable  mention  for  the  very  creditable  manner  in 
which  they  have  borne  themselves  during  the  entire  expedi- 
tion, and  I  do  not  desire  to  detract  in  the  slightest  degree 
from  the  honor  due  to  the  others  in  calling  especial  attention 
to  the  gallant  conduct  of  the  Seventh  Alabama  Cavalry  in 
this  their  first  engagement,  and  to  the  very  effective  service 
rendered  by  Thrall's  battery  in  setting  fire  to  the  enemy's 
boats  and  stores. 

My  thanks  are  due  to  the  officers  of  my  staff,  and  to  Cap- 
tain Lawler,  Seventh  Tennessee  Cavalry,  and  Lieutenant  D. 
F.  Holland,  aide-de-camp  to  Major-General  D.  H.  Maury, 
who  were  temporarily  on  staff  duty  with  me,  for  their  effi- 
cient services. 

I  am,  major,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

JAS.  R.  CHALMERS,  Brigadier-General. 
MAJOR  J.  P.  STRANGE,  Asst.  Adjt. -General,  Forrest's  Cavalry. 

Before  leaving  Mississippi,  General  Chalmers  gave  orders 
to  Colonel  R.  F.  Looney  and  Captain  A.  D.  Bright  to  go 
into  West  Tennessee,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Memphis  and 
points  north  thereof,  for  the  purpose  of  arresting  and  bring- 
ing into  our  lines  such  deserters  and  stragglers  as  could  be 
found.  These  gentlemen  were  selected  for  the  duty  because 


216  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

of  their  familiarity  with  the  country,  and  further  because  they 
were  known  to  be  men  of  nerve.  They  left  the  command 
at  Como,  and  went  direct  to  the  house  of  Captain  A.  J. 
Hays,  near  Arlington,  where  they  remained  a  few  days  per- 
fecting their  plans,  and  greatly  enjoying  the  hospitality  of 
that  elegant  home  and  family.  While  sitting  at  the  dinner 
table  one  day,  soon  after  arriving  at  Captain  Hays',  a  negro 
boy  ran  into  the  hall,  crying  out:  "  The  Yankees  are  coming 
in  the  front  gate."  Colonel  Looney  and  Bright  had  no  hope 
of  escape  except  by  getting  out  the  back  way,  which  they 
proceeded  to  do  with  all  the  speed  in  their  power.  Bright, 
though  a  very  large  man,  was  exceedingly  quick  and  active, 
and  as  strong  as  a  horse.  They  managed  to  get  into  a  corn 
field,  and  then  separated,  going  in  different  directions.  The 
enemy,  however,  followed  on  horseback,  and  fired  on  them 
as  they  went.  A  large  Dutchman,  mounted  on  a  good  horse 
in  pursuit  of  Bright,  called  on  him  to  halt.  He  exhausted  the 
charges  in  his  rifle,  and  began  to  curse,  saying:  "  Halt,  you 

d n  rebel !     Do  you  think  you  can  outrun  a  race  horse  ?  " 

Of  course,  the  Dutchman's  horse  finally  overtook  Bright,  and 
he  was  forced  to  surrender.  The  Dutchman  again  said : 

"You  d n  rebel,  you  can  run  like  a  deer!     You  must  be 

used  to  it."  Both  Bright  and  Looney  were  made  prisoners 
and  carried  to  Memphis.  They  reached  Germantown,  and 
were  turned  over  to  Colonel  Lee,  of  the  "Kansas  Jay- 
hawkers,"  who  escorted  them  into  the  city  on  the  following 
day.  On  the  trip  from  Germantown,  the  gentlemen  had 
nothing  better  to  do  than  to  make  a  good  impression  on  the 
"Jay-hawker,"  and  by  the  time  they  arrived  at  Memphis  had 
prevailed  on  him  to  let  them  go  to  the  Gayoso  Hotel.  In- 


JN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  217 

formation  of  their  capture  had  preceded  them,  however,  and 
when  they  reached  the  hotel,  they  were  met  by  an  orderly, 
who  advised  Colonel  Lee  that  General  Hurlbut  desired  the 
prisoners  sent  to  his  official  headquarters,  which  were  on 
Madison  street,  in  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  "Com- 
mercial-Appeal." Arriving  there,  they  found  Major  Bob  San- 
ford  and  four  other  officers,  who  were  also  prisoners.  An 
officer  of  General  Hurlbut's  staff  (said  to  have  been  one  of 
the  most  arrogant,  impudent,  and  discourteous  men  in  the 
army)  greeted  them  by  saying :  "I  think  I  can  tame  you 
chaps."  Then,  addressing  the  guard,  said:  "Put  them  in 
close  confinement ;  they  will  be  held  as  hostages !  The  rebel 
general,  Tilghman,  has  sentenced  a  number  of  Federal  sol- 
diers to  be  executed,  and  if  he  carries  out  his  threat,  we  will 
kill  each  of  these  "  (pointing  to  the  seven  Confederate  officers 
before  him).  They  were  then  hustled  down  the  stairway  and 
over  to  the  "Irving  Block  Prison,"  on  Second  street,  be- 
tween Court  and  Jefferson.  They  were  placed  in  a  back 
room  and  strongly  guarded,  but  in  a  short  time  the  officer 
ordered  that  they  be  moved  to  the  third  story,  a  dirty  place, 
where  thieves,  thugs,  and  cut-throats  were  kept,  and  where 
vermin  abounded.  It  was  a  serious  situation,  but  Colonel 
Looney  was  not  the  man  to  submit  to  such  indignities,  even 
in  the  face  of  death,  and  therefore  protested  against  it.  He 
used  strong  language  to  the  officer  in  charge,  and  denounced 
the  action  as  an  outrage.  The  officer  admitted  it  was  unusual 
to  associate  officers  and  gentlemen  with  the  third  story  pris- 
oners, but  said:  "  I  understand  you  seven  men  will  be  shot, 
and  it  is  necessary  to  take  extra  precaution  to  prevent  your 
escape.  I  am  ordered  to  see  that  nothing  interferes  with  the 


218  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

proceedings."  The  gentlemen  realized  that  unless  someihing 
in  the  way  of  a  miracle  occurred  their  time  on  earth  was  of 
short  duration.  There  was  not  a  bed  of  any  description  in 
the  long  room,  neither  was  there  a  chair  or  bench  to  sit  on. 
They  walked  the  floor  all  night. 

About  sunrise  the  following  morning  Colonel  Looney  was 
standing  at  a  window  looking  out  on  Court  square,  thinking 
doubtless  of  his  once  happy  childhood,  and  the  pleasant 
days  spent  in  the  little  park  before  him,  as  compared  to  his 
present  condition.  Major  Sanford,  Captain  Bright  and  the 
others  were  leaning  against  the  begrimed  walls,  thinking  of 
the  horrors  that  seemed  to  await  them.  Colonel  Looney 
saw  a  wagon  approach  and  halt  just  opposite  and  below  the 
window.  It  contained  seven  rough  pine  coffins,  and  one  of 
them  was  much  larger  than  the  others.  He  was  interested,  of 
course,  and  deeply  so,  in  ascertaining  why  the  wagon  halted 
in  front  of  the  window.  He  knew  there  was  no  epidemic  in  the 
city,  therefore,  seven  coffins  in  one  wagon  was  an  unusual  sight, 
but  the  colonel  had  remarkable  nerve,  and  did  not  succumb  to 
the  dismal  outlook.  He  called  to  Captain  Bright  to  come 
over,  and  pointing  out  the  wagon,  said :  "  Bright,  look  ! 
There  are  seven  of  them,  and  I  suppose  the  big  one  is  for 
you."  Bright  looked  the  colonel  full  in  the  face  and  said  : 
"Colonel  Looney,  you  should  not  joke  on  facts,  they  make 
me  shudder,"  and  then  returned  to  his  corner  in  the  dark 
and  dirty  room.  About  eight  o'clock,  Judge  Nooe  passed 
along  the  street,  and  Colonel  Looney  called  to  him,  saying  : 
"Do  you  understand  the  awful  situation  we  are  in  ?  Try 
and  do  something  for  us.  See  Doctor  Fowlkes  and  any 
others  you  can,  and  bring  them  up  to  see  us  quickly."  Very 


IN  THE    CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  219 

soon  four  or  five  citizens  called  on  General  Hurlbut,  and 
made  an  earnest  prayer  for  the  lives  of  the  Confederate 
officers.  In  the  meantime,  one  of  the  guards  informed 
Colonel  Looney  that  the  seven  coffins  had  been  placed  in  the 
hall-way  of  the  prison.  About  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.,  Colonel 
Sam.  P.  Walker  (father  of  the  present  Judge  S.  P.  Walker), 
Judge  Nooe,  Doctor  Fowlkes,  and  a  few  others,  called  to  see 
the  gentlemen,  and  said:  "  Your  friends  are  earnestly  work- 
ing, and  hoping  to  save  you  from  death  by  agreeing  to  accept 
for  you  life  sentences  in  the  penitentiary  at  Alton."  About 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  were  removed  from  the 
Irving  Block  to  Fort  Pickering,  guarded  by  twenty  or  thirty 
soldiers.  Nothing  further  had  been  said  about  a  commuta- 
tion of  the  death  sentence,  and  as  they  looked  out  of  the 
window  and  watched  the  flow  of  the  great  Mississippi  river, 
noting  the  bluff  where,  according  to  tradition,  De  Soto  stood 
when  he  first  beheld  it,  the  future  presented  nothing  but  gloom 
and  sadness.  It  was  an  ideal  spot  for  an  execution,  and 
while  they  remained  in  the  fort  they  had  time  to  consider  and 
discuss  among  themselves  what  was  best  to  do  with  the  few 
hours  yet  left  to  them.  The  following  afternoon,  about  four 
o'clock,  an  officer  announced  to  Colonel  Looney  that  he  was 
wanted  in  the  city.  As  he  walked  to  the  gate  he  saw  a  car- 
riage standing  there.  Into  this  he  was  told  to  go,  and  then 
surrounded  by  guards  on  horseback,  and  with  two  armed 
men  sitting  opposite  him,  was  driven  toward  the  city,  and 
halted  on  Shelby  street,  at  a  house  where  he  met  Colonel 
Walker,  Dr.  Fowlkes,  and  his  own  brother  Dave  (the  latter 
having  come  down  from  Paducah.)  They  advised  him  that 
a  number  of  prominent  gentlemen  had  tendered  General 


220  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Hurlbut  a  banquet  that  evening,  on  which  occasion  they 
hoped  to  obtain  his  consent  to  exchange  them  for  some 
Federal  officers,  prisoners  at  Jackson,  Mississippi.  They  be- 
lieved it  could  be  accomplished,  and  wanted  the  gentlemen 
to  know  what  their  hopes  were,  and  what  steps  were  being 
taken  for  their  safety.  Colonel  Looney  was  returned  to  Fort 
Pickering,  and  gave  the  cheerful  news  to  his  comrades.  The 
following  morning,  Colonel  Walker,  Dr.  Fowlkes  and  Judge 
Nooe  called  to  say  that  General  Hurlbut  had  consented  to 
let  them  go,  provided  an  equal  number  of  Federal  officers 
of  similar  rank  were  released.  But  that  in  the  event  this 
could  not  be  accomplished  then  they  should  return  to 
Memphis  as  prisoners,  and  on  those  conditions  they  were 
escorted  to  the  picket  lines  and  turned  adrift,  and  the  seven 
men  who  had  been  so  near  the  brink  of  all  earthly  hopes  were 
free  again.  While  bidding  the  officer  of  the  guard  good- 
bye, Bright  wanted  to  know  what  would  become  of  the  seven 
coffins,  now  that  they  were  released.  Said  the  officer  :  "  We 
will  give  you  yours,  if  you  want  it."  But  the  polite  offer 
was  respectfully  declined,  with  thanks. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  221 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  EFFORT  TO  CROSS  THE  TENNESSEE  RIVER  AT  PERRY- 
VILLE — FORREST  AND  CHALMERS  BUILD  BOATS,  CROSS 
THE  RIVER  AT  FLORENCE,  ALABAMA — WAGONS  AND 
NEGROES  CAPTURED — A  DUTCH  OFFICER  BESTED  BY  A 
NEGRO— DESPERATE  CHARGE  AT  HENRYVILLE — THE 
GREAT  MISTAKE  AT  SPRING  HILL — THE  BATTLE  OF 
FRANKLIN — ARRIVAL  AT  VICINITY  OF  NASHVILLE. 

We  reached  Perryville  and  found  General  Forrest  building 
a  ferry-boat.  There  were  a  few  vacant  store-houses,  which 
he  tore  down  for  the  material.  He  had  his  staff  officers  and 
escort  company  carrying  plank  and  scantling  on  their 
shoulders  down  to  the  river.  The  general  was  ripping  off 
weather-boarding  with  his  own  hands,  and  "guying"  the 
members  of  his  staff  because  they  did  not  carry  better  loads. 
General  Chalmers  with  his  staff  and  escort  was  the  next  to 
reach  Perryville.  He  learned  from  General  Forrest  what  his 
purpose  was,  and  decided  to  try  his  skill  in  building  a  boat 
also.  He  called  on  us  to  get  to  work.  It  was  very  muddy. 
Some  of  the  staff  and  several  of  the  escort  who  usually  wore 
tolerably  good  clothes  made  very  wry  faces,  but  all  hands 
were  soon  busy,  and  within  two  hours  our  boat  was  riding 
the  waters,  not  as  gracefully  as  a  swan,  but  as  proudly.  It 
was  arranged  to  begin  the  crossing  early  on  the  morning  of 
November  the  yth,  but  we  soon  discovered  that  our  boats 
were  unsafe,  and  they  were  abandoned.  The  wagon  train 
reached  us  about  nine  o'clock  with  two  large  yawls,  which 


222  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Colonel  Rucker  had  taken  from  the  Venus.  These  were 
used  by  the  men  to  cross,  and  the  horses  were  made  to 
swim.  The  river  was  rising  rapidly,  and  a  quantity  of  drift- 
wood in  the  river  made  it  dangerous.  So,  after  crossing  the 
Seventh  Tennessee  and  Kelly's  regiment  (about  four  hundred 
as  good  men  as  ever  answered  roll-call),  General  Forrest  de- 
cided to  abandon  any  further  effort  on  Perryville.  He  gave 
Colonel  Rucker  orders  to  move  to  Mount  Pleasant,  and  re- 
port to  General  Hood.  We  bade  the  boys  good-bye  with 
some  apprehensions,  but  we  knew  if  any  four  hundred  men 
in  the  world  could  take  care  of  themselves,  Rucker  and  his 
men  could.  We  moved  to  Florence,  Ala.,  via  luka;  the 
roads  were  as  muddy  as  could  be,  and  it  continued  to  rain 
day  and  night.  Our  horses  were  broken  down  for  want  of 
food.  General  Forrest  gave  instructions  to  send  men  out 
along  the  line  of  march  and  exchange  the  broken  down 
horses  for  fresh  ones,  but  there  were  none  to  be  had.  The 
artillery  made  slow  headway.  Finally  General  Chalmers 
found  a  lot  of  oxen,  which  he  used  for  the  artillery,  and  we 
reached  luka,  November  i3th,  after  the  most  disagreeable 
march  we  ever  had.  We  rested  two  days,  and  left  luka  on 
the  i6th,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  zyth,  reached  Florence, 
where  we  found  General  Hood's  army  encamped.  Hood's 
men  cheered  us  as  we  passed  along.  They  had  heard  noth- 
ing but  good  reports  of  Forrest's  cavalry.  We  crossed  the 
river  on  a  pontoon  bridge,  and  went  into  camp  on  Shoal 
creek,  distant  about  two  and  one-half  miles.  General  Hood 
was  detained  at  Florence  awaiting  supplies,  and  the  nearest 
railroad  station  to  Florence  was  Cherokee,  sixteen  miles,  be- 
tween which  points  the  roads  were  almost  impassable.  It 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  223 

would  seem,  therefore,  that  the  movement  to  Nashville  was 
a  failure  before  the  army  crossed  the  river.  It  was  a  desper- 
ate condition,  however,  which  confronted  the  Confederate 
cause,  and  nothing  was  left  but  desperate  chances.  This 
fact  was  well  known  to  our  men,  and  yet  they  were  ready 
to  move  forward,  and  to  do  every  thing  in  their  power  to 
change  the  current  of  events.  Early  on  the  morning  of 
November  the  i8th,  our  command  moved  toward  Henry- 
ville,  Tenn,,  followed  by  the  wagons  which  contained  all  we 
had,  together  with  several  of  our  negroes.  General  Chal- 
mers with  his  staff  and  escort  bringing  up  the  rear  an  hour 
later.  We  had  gone  about  a  mile,  when  it  was  discovered 
that  our  plunder  was  scattered  along  the  road  and  in  the 
woods.  We  followed  the  trail  in  a  gallop.  It  was  evident 
that  the  enemy  had  captured  the  wagons  and  possibly  the 
troops.  General  Chalmers  determined  to  find  out.  We 
passed  empty  wagons  locked  against  trees,  and  other  evi- 
dences of  a  hasty  retreat.  It  was  a  rough,  rocky  country. 
Finally  we  came  in  sight  of  the  enemy  with  our  mules, 
drivers,  and  negroes.  They  had  lost  the  direction,  and  were 
returning  on  the  same  trail  they  went.  As  we  rode  to  the 
top  of  a  hill,  and  started  down,  the  enemy  was  coming  down 
an  opposite  hill  meeting  us.  General  Chalmers  was  mad. 
He  called  out:  "Charge  them!  Charge  them!"  We 
raised  a  yell  and  began  firing  at  them.  The  enemy  was 
about  four  hundred  strong,  but  they  had  lost  hope,  and  ran 
in  every  direction.  The  escort  rushed  at  them,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  capturing  nearly  all,  together  with  our  mules  and 
negroes. 

Major  Mills  had  a  very  handsome  little  sorrel  horse  which 


224  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Boston  was  leading  when  captured.  He  had  a  sore  back. 
When  Boston  recognized  us,  and  saw  the  ''Yanks"  running, 
he  almost  went  wild  with  joy.  After  quiet  was  restored, 
and  the  prisoners  stood  corralled,  prior  to  marching  off,  Bos- 
ton began  in  a  very  loud  voice  to  tell  how  it  all  came  about. 
He  was  not  gifted  with  intellect,  nor  with  extraordinary  ora- 
torical power,  yet  he  made  a  reputation  that  day  as  a 
talker.  Finally  he  caught  sight  of  a  big  fat  Dutchman  with 
sergeant's  stripes  on  his  arms,  and  he  went  at  him  with  the 
fury  of  a  panther.  He  said:  "You!  You!  You!  wus  de 
berry  ole  Dutch  Yankee  whut  tuck  Mars  Andrew's  filly." 
He  snatched  the  Dutchman's  hat  (a  nice  felt  one),  and  began 
to  kick  him,  and  no  doubt  would  have  injured  him  but  for 
the  intervention  of  Captain  Goodman,  who  made  him  be- 
have. 

We  captured  about  three  hundred  prisoners  and  horses. 
The  escort  company  and  some  of  the  staff  exchanged  their 
broken-down  horses  for  the  fresh  ones,  and  after  some  delay 
all  the  plunder  was  gathered  together,  and  the  wagons  pro- 
ceeded on  the  journey.  The  enemy's  force  was  a  scouting 
party,  sent  out  to  discover  our  position,  and  by  accident  fell 
in  behind  us.  The  escort  boys  were  heroes.  Sixty-five  men 
charged  and  killed  or  captured  over  three  hundred,  without 
the  loss  of  a  man.  We  reached  a  little  place  called  West- 
Point,  and  remained  there  until  the  23d  of  November,  when 
Colonel  Rucker  joined  us,  and  we  had  great  rejoicing  at 
finding  the  boys  all  right.  We  moved  on  the  23d  to  Henry- 
ville,  Rucker  in  advance.  He  met  a  cavalry  force  about  an 
hour  before  night,  some  two  thousand  strong,  which  he  at- 
tacked at  once.  Generals  Forrest  and  Chalmers  joined  him 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM!'.  225 

in  a  short  time.  Our  force  was  less  than  a  thousand  men. 
The  balance  of  Rucker's  brigade  was  some  five  miles  in  the 
rear.  General  Forrest  ordered  Colonel  Kelly  to  take  his 
regiment  to  the  left  of  the  pike,  and  attack  the  enemy  in 
the  rear,  while  with  his  escort  company  he  went  to  the  right. 
General  Chalmers  remained  with  Rucker,  and  pressed  the 
enemy  back  gradually.  General  Forrest  soon  struck  his  rear 
with  his  escort  company,  and  created  a  panic.  It  was  just 
getting  dark,  and  the  enemy  were  filing  into  the  woods  to 
go  into  camp.  They  did  not  think  we  were  mean  enough 
to  continue  the  fight  after  night.  General  Forrest  dashed 
through  their  ranks,  and  scattered  them  in  great  confusion. 
The  force  which  General  Chalmers  was  fighting,  hearing  the 
firing  in  their  rear,  retreated.  General  Forrest,  with  his  escort 
concealed  on  the  side  of  the  road,  poured  a  deadly  volley 
into  them  as  they  passed,  killing  about  sixty,  and  creating  the 
wildest  stampede.  In  the  meantime,  Chalmers  and  Rucker, 
hearing  the  firing,  and  noting  the  panic,  charged  in  column, 
the  men  yelling  like  Indians,  driving  or  capturing  every 
thing  before  them.  The  darkness  made  it  awful  for  the 
enemy. 

The  following  morning,  Rucker  again  took  the  advance, 
and  caught  the  rear  of  the  enemy  about  half  way  between 
Mount  Pleasant  and  Columbia.  He  drove  them  beyond  a 
creek  near  Columbia,  where  they  took  cover  behind  breast- 
works. In  the  last  charge  on  that  day,  November  24th, 
Colonel  W.  A.  Dawson  was  killed.  We  saw  his  body  lying 
beside  the  pike  as  we  followed  Rucker.  He  was  a  gallant 
officer. 

General  Scofield,  with  an  army  of  twenty-two  thousand 


226  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC. 

infantry,  and  eight  thousand  cavalry,  was  strongly  intrenched 
at  Columbia.  His  force  was  equal  to  General  Hood's.  We 
drove  his  pickets  in  on  the  25th,  and  could  see  their  lines  of 
battle  awaiting  us.  General  Chalmers  made  his  headquarters 
at  General  Lucius  Folk's,  from  which  place  we  rode  out  on 
the  morning  of  the  26th,  and  found  that  Colonel  Rucker  had 
advanced  his  line  some  three  hundred  yards,  driving  the  en- 
emy from  his  outer  rail  works.  There  was  a  mill  by  the 
pike,  where  Generals  S.  D.  Lee,  Forrest,  and  Chalmers  went 
to  take  observations  from  the  second  story.  They  noticed 
the  enemy  moving  to  cut  Rucker  off,  and  General  Chalmers 
directed  Bleecker  to  see  him  quickly,  and  tell  him  to  fall 
back  to  his  original  position.  Bleecker  rode  off,  passing 
through  an  orchard,  where  the  enemy's  shells  were  clipping 
off  limbs,  and  plowing  up  the  ground.  He  reached  Colonel 
Rucker,  who  was  some  distance  in  front  of  his  line,  and  de- 
livered the  order,  and  started  on  his  return,  when  a  grape- 
shot  struck  the  pummel  of  his  saddle  and  shattered  it.  The 
shot  passed  within  one  inch  of  his  body,  but  that  fact  did 
not  trouble  him  so  much  as  the  loss  of  his  fine  "Texas 
saddle." 

Walton's  battery  in  the  meantime  was  giving  the  enemy 
much  annoyance.  It  was  in  position  about  half  a  mile  to 
the  left  of  the  mill,  throwing  shell  into  the  enemy's 
works.  Walton  was  a  splendid  officer,  young,  brave,  and 
dashing.  He  was  probably  one  of  the  best  shots  in  the  ar- 
tillery service,  and  could  often,  after  a  few  trials,  put  his 
shells  wherever  he  chose.  General  Chalmers,  with  the  aid 
of  a  glass,  discovered  that  WTalton  was  landing  shells  very 
successfully,  and  suggested  a  ride  over  to  his  position.  Gen- 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  227 

erals  S.  D.  Lee,  Forrest,  and  himself,  followed  by  their  staff 
officers,  soon  reached  Walton,  who  was  enjoying  the  work 
fully  as  much  as  a  boy  does  playing  "sweep-stakes."  We  were 
there  but  a  few  minutes  when  the  enemy,  no  doubt  thinking 
the  thing  had  gone  far  enough,  opened  on  Walton  with  thirty 
or  forty  guns.  The  earth  trembled.  Probably  a  hundred 
big  shells  exploded  above  us  in  less  than  half  a  minute, 
fragments  flying  in  all  directions.  A  caisson  was  blown  up 
at  the  same  time,  making  the  explosion  terrible.  After  the 
smoke  had  partially  cleared  away,  we  saw  General  Lee  sit- 
ting on  his  horse,  calm  and  motionless,  not  in  the  slightest 
degree  excited,  while  the  rest  of  us,  including  General  For- 
rest, were  on  the  ground,  and  several  of  the  horses  gone. 
We  were  not  long  in  getting  away  from  there.  Fully  half  of 
Walton's  horses  were  killed  before  he  could  get  under  cover. 
General  Chalmers  said  afterward,  that  when  he  saw  General 
Lee  so  undisturbed,  he  felt  ashamed,  but  on  finding  General 
Forrest  off  of  his  horse,  and  hearing  him  say,  "Get  away 
from  here,"  he  thought  he  could  stand  it. 

A  moment  before  the  shell  from  the  enemy's  gun  struck 
the  caisson,  Corporal  John  T.  Moore  was  squatting  in  rear 
of  the  limber  chest,  cutting  the  fuse  of  a  shell  for  one  of  the 
guns.  He  was  interested  in  getting  the  exact  time  for  the 
fuse,  when  the  explosion  occurred.  Moore  was  thrown  high 
in  the  air  and  fell  upon  his  back,  badly  bruised  and  his  cloth- 
ing torn  into  shreds.  He  was  wearing  a  long  gray  blanket 
overcoat,  which  was  wrecked.  After  regaining  his  feet, 
pointing  to  the  scraps  of  coat,  he  said:  "That  d n  Yan- 
kee has  destroyed  my  coat." 

We    spent   the   night   at   the   beautiful   home  of  General 


228  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

Lucius  Polk,  whose  kindness,  hospitality,  and  liberality  will 
never  be  forgotten  as  long  as  there  is  one  of  us  left.  He  was 
a  grand  man  and  a  worthy  representative  of  that  distinguished 
class  which  has  nearly  become  extinct.  During  the  night  of 
the  27th,  General  Schofield  crossed  his  army  to  the  north  bank 
of  Duck  river.  General  Forrest,  acting  under  orders  from 
General  Hood,  sent  General  Chalmers  with  his  division  to 
cross  seven  miles  above  Columbia,  at  what  was  called  the 
"Cedars."  General  Buford  crossed  below,  while  General 
W.  H.  Jackson  crossed  still  higher  up  than  General  Chalmers 
did.  We  made  the  passage  without  special  incident,  and 
moved  along  slowly  for  four  or  five  miles,  through  a  rugged 
and  rocky  woods.  General  Forrest  sent  an  officer  to  General 
Chalmers,  saying  that  General  Buford  had  met  with  stubborn 
resistance,  and  as  yet  had  not  been  able  to  cross  the  river. 
We  then  went  into  bivouac,  and  early  next  morning  received 
orders  to  press  the  enemy's  cavalry,  and,  if  possible,  get  in 
their  rear.  We  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  our  ad- 
vance found  them  in  line,  but  they  were  nervous. 

Captain  Bill  Tucker  was  commanding  what  we  called  the 
escort  battalion,  composed  of  Raines'  company,  the  escort 
company,  and  two  other  unattached  companies.  When  our 
advance  guard  began  firing,  General  Chalmers  ordered  Cap- 
tain Tucker  to  charge.  There  were  a  number  of  cedar  trees 
which  had  been  blown  down,  probably  years  before,  the 
limbs  of  which  were  as  hard  and  as  strong  as  a  buck's  horn. 
Tucker  was  a  gallant  fellow.  He  was  brave  to  recklessness. 
As  he  rode  by  at  the  head  of  the  battalion,  General  Chalmers 
said:  "Captain  Tucker,  break  that  line."  His  boys  re- 
sponded beautifully.  They  went  sailing  through  the  woods, 


/A'   THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  229 

yelling  at  the  top  of  their  voices.  Tucker  rode  a  very  hand- 
some horse,  which  belonged  to  his  brother,  ';  Fenton,"  called 
"Duff  Green."  He  was  known  by  nearly  all  the  men  in  the 
division,  because  of  his  style  and  gaits.  Several  of  the  es- 
cort rode  abreast  of  Tucker.  They  were  high-strung,  spir- 
ited fellows,  who  would  not  permit  Tucker  to  lead,  and  no 
man  could  lead  Tucker.  On  they  rode  with  the  fury  of 
lightning,  firing  their  pistols  as  they  went.  There  was  a 
large  cedar  tree  before  them,  the  limbs  pointing  in  our  direc- 
tion. Tucker,  heedless  of  every  thing,  expected  "Duff 
Green"  to  clear  it,  but  that  was  impossible.  He  made  the 
effort,  when  a  sharp-pointed  limb  caught  him  and  passed  en- 
tirely through,  killing  him.  Tucker  was  soon  mounted  on 
another  horse,  and  went  at  them  again.  The  enemy  gave 
way,  but  we  had  continuous  fighting  through  the  day,  reach- 
ing Spring  Hill  about  four  in  the  afternoon. 

Several  of  those  gallant  boys  of  the  escort  company  were 
afterward  killed,  and  a  few  only  survive  to-day.  Among 
those  living  are:  Frank  M.  Norfleet,  of  Memphis;  Oliver  D. 
Sledge,  of  Como,  Miss.;  Dr.  Tom  M.  Jones,  of  Hernando; 
and  D.  W.  Wagner  and  T.  J.  McFarland,  of  Water  Valley, 
Miss. 

Our  men  had  been  fighting  on  foot  almost  continuously 
during  the  day,  and  the  country  over  which  we  passed  was 
rugged  and  thickly  covered  with  stubby  cedar  trees  and 
bushes.  Therefore,  the  command  was  out  of  ammunition 
and  broken  down.  At  Spring  Hill  we  found  a  cavalry  force 
in  line  of  battle,  which  Colonel  Rucker  easily  dispersed, 
but  they  retired  behind  a  long  line  of  breast-works,  which 
were  filled  with  a  corps  of  infantry.  Rucker  withdrew  and 


230  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

reported  the  fact  to  General  Chalmers,  when  they  both  rode 
forward  to  investigate  further,  and  found  as  Colonel  Rucker 
had  stated.  Very  soon  the  enemy's  stragglers  began  to  pass 
along,  and  from  those  captured  we  ascertained  that  fully  as 
many  more  infantry,  besides  artillery,  were  on  the  march 
from  Columbia  to  Spring  Hill.  It  was  plain,  therefore,  that 
we  were  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy.  This  was  the  situation 
when  General  Forrest  rode  up,  but  in  the  meantime  about 
two  hundred  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  had  returned  to  the  po- 
sition from  which  General  Rucker  had  driven  them,  and 
General  Forrest,  observing  them,  said  to  General  Chalmers  : 
"Why  do  n't  you  drive  those  fellows  off?"  General  Chal- 
mers answered:  "  Why,  there  are  three  divisions  of  infantry 
in  breast-works  behind  the  cavalry,  and,  further,  my  men  are 
out  of  ammunition  and  broken  down."  Said  General  For- 
rest :  "I  think  you  are  mistaken ;  that  is  only  a  small  cavalry 
force.  I  will  lend  you  Wilson's  regiment,  which,  together 
with  your  escort  company,  will  drive  them  away."  General 
Chalmers  felt  that  he  could  not  argue  the  matter  further,  so 
said:  "All  right;  let  me  have  Wilson;  I  will  try  it."  Soon 
the  line  was  formed,  with  the  general  and  his  staff  and  escort 
on  the  right.  He  gave  the  command,  "forward,  gallop," 
and  immediately  Carson  sounded  the  charge.  The  escort 
began  to  yell,  and  Wilson's  men  took  it  up.  We  charged 
through  a  beautiful  grove,  the  men  urging  their  horses. 
General  Chalmers  was  leading,  and  they  were  determined  to 
be  with  him.  General  Forrest  watched  the  charge,  which 
also  put  the  men  on  their  mettle,  and  there  was  not  a  laggard 
in  the  line.  We  had  almost  reached  the  edge  of  the  woods 
when  the  shock  came.  Twenty  pieces  of  artillery  opened 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  231 

upon  us,  followed  by  the  fire  of  a  long  line  of  infantry. 
Horses  tumbled  over  each  other,  and  fell,  men  were  shot, 
and  horses  galloped  away  riderless,  and  limbs  and  bark  cov- 
ered the  ground.  It  was  a  dreadful  few  minutes,  and  it  all 
happened  very  quickly.  There  was  no  command  given  to 
fall  back,  but  when  the  smoke  rose  above  there  were  only 
four  men  in  their  places — General  Chalmers,  Lieutenant 
"  Elbert  Oliver,"  of  Raine's  company,  Frank  M.  Norfleet, 
and  Carson,  the  bugler.  They  were  together,  but  the  next 
moment  Oliver  and  Carson  were  shot  down.  Then  Norfleet 
said:  " General,  every  body  but  you  and  me  have  been 
killed  or  wounded ;  let  us  get  away,"  and  they  rode  to  the 
rear.  After  getting  out  of  range,  General  Chalmers  and 
Norfleet  halted,  and,  returning  to  the  command,  met  General 
Forrest,  who  said:  "General  Chalmers,  you  were  right. 
They  were  there."  "Yes,"  replied  General  Chalmers,  "  that 
is  the  second  time  I  found  them  there."  Soon  General  Bu- 
ford  reached  us  with  his  division,  and  he  and  Generals  For- 
rest and  Chalmers  made  a  reconnaissance.  Returning,  Gen- 
eral Forrest  ordered  the  line  forward  for  a  demonstration. 
We  could  not  make  an  attack  because  both  divisions  were  out 
of  ammunition.  Chalmers  was  on  the  right,  and,  every  thing 
ready,  we  moved  forward,  driving  the  enemy's  skirmishers, 
who  withdrew  to  the  breast-works.  We  remained  in  that 
position  but  a  short  time,  when  Cheatham's  corps  came  up. 
General  Cleburne  was  the  first  infantry  officer  to  arrive.  He 
formed  his  division  on  our  left,  and  we  charged  with  him. 
It  was  well  understood  that  our  command  had  no  ammuni- 
tion, and  the  only  thing  we  c'ould  do  was  to  yell.  General 
Cleburne  was  riding  a  tall  bay  horse,  and  presented  a  very 


232  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

soldierly  appearance.  The  enemy  could  not  stand  the  on- 
slaught, and  fell  back  from  the  works  they  were  in  to  another 
and  stronger  line.  By  this  time  it  was  nearly  night,  and  we 
retired  to  feed  our  horses  and  get  ammunition,  while  Cleburne 
held  the  position  he  had  gained.  Soon  the  firing  ceased, 
and  General  Cleburne  rode  back,  I  presume,  for  orders. 
Meeting  General  Chalmers,  he  remarked:  "They  are  badly 
paralyzed.  I  rode  within  fifty  yards  of  their  works  without 
danger."  At  that  moment  blood  tricked  out  of  a  wound  in 
his  horse's  neck.  As  we  rode  to  camp,  we  met  Brown's  di- 
vision, of  Cheatham's  corps,  standing  in  column.  The 
writer  heard  a  conversation  between  Generals  Brown  and 
Chalmers  on  the  situation.  General  Chalmers  said:  "  I  be- 
lieve that,  if  you  will  join  General  Cleburne,  and  make  a 
vigorous  attack,  you  can  capture  or  rout  the  force  in  his 
front."  General  Brown  replied  :  "  I  have  no  orders."  Gen- 
eral Chalmers  said:  "I  would  make  the  attack  without  or- 
ders, general.  I  am  confident  it  is  a  great  opportunity ;  the 
enemy  is  very  uneasy,  and  could  be  whipped  and  captured 
before  the  balance  of  Schofield's  army  can  come  to  his  as- 
sistance." General  Brown  answered :  "  I  will  await  orders." 
There  was  a  nice  large  residence  in  the  suburbs,  which 
we  passed  when  we  arrived  at  Spring  Hill.  We  rode  there 
hoping  to  get  something  to  eat,  and  met  General  Forrest  and 
his  staff.  Our  horses  were  fed  in  the  yard,  and  we  sat 
around  on  the  gallery.  About  nine  o'clock  an  officer  of 
General  Forrest's  escort  reported  that  General  Cleburne  had 
withdrawn  his  command,  and  that  the  enemy  was  moving 
toward  Franklin.  General  Forrest  then  mounted  his  horse 
and  went  in  person  to  see  General  Hood  (whom  we 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  233 

understood  had  his  headquarters  about  a  mile  distant)  and 
advised  him  fully  of  the  situation.  It  was  said  at  that  time 
that  General  Hood  stated  to  General  Forrest  that  General 
Cheatham's  corps  held  possession  of  the  turnpike,  but  Gen- 
eral Forrest  assured  him  that  such  was  not  the  case.  Gen- 
eral Hood  then  asked  General  Forrest  if  he  could  not  quickly 
obstruct  the  pike,  and  prevent  the  enemy's  retreat  until  he 
could  get  Cheatham  in  position.  General  Forrest  replied 
that  Chalmers  and  Buford  were  out  of  ammunition,  but 
that  General  W.  H.  Jackson  would  do  every  thing  in  his 
power  to  check  the  retreat.  General  Hood  assured  General 
Forrest  that  his  corps  commander  would  supply  Chalmers  and 
Buford  at  once  with  ammunition,  but  this  was  not  done  until 
the  following  morning,  whefn  General  Walthall  furnished 
twenty  rounds  of  ammunition  to  the  man.  The  ordnance 
wagons  had  not  yet  reached'  us,  and  no  more  could  be 
obtained.  During  the  night  of  November  2Qth,  at  Spring 
Hill,  General  Schofield's  army  passed  along  the  pike  in 
sight  of  our  camp  without  any  interference.  Numbers  of 
stragglers  left  the  line  of  march  to  stop  at  our  camp  fires. 
They  were  entirely  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  we  were  in  their 
rear.  The  greatest  opportunity  ever  presented  to  an  army 
to  capture  or  annihilate  an  opposing  army  was  neglected  at 
Spring  Hill.  The  advance  corps  of  General  Schofield's 
army,  which  we  found  at  Spring  Hill,  separated  some  six  or 
eight  miles  from  the  balance  of  his  command,  was  in  a 
panicky  condition,  and  there  is  no  doubt  had  the  divisions  of 
Cleburne  and  Brown  been  thrown  against  them  the  army 
would  have  surrendered.  There  was  great  disappointment 
at  that  time,  and  a  certain  officer  was  severely  criticised,  but 


234  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

nothing  has  been  written  concerning  the  responsibility  since, 
and  the  writer  will  pass  it  by.  It  must  be  recognized  that 
General  Hood  displayed  much  shrewdness  and  ability  in 
getting  to  the  rear  of  General  Schofield.  It  was  a  masterly 
move,  and  somebody  was  responsible  for  not  winning  a  great 
victory.  We  left  Spring  Hill  about  nine,  A.  M.,  and  crossed 
over  to  Carter's  creek  turnpike,  going  toward  Franklin,  which 
place  we  reached  about  2:30,  p.  M.  We  were  the  first  troops 
to  arrive,  and  constituted  the  extreme  left  of  the  army.  Our 
advance  guard  encountered  and  drove  the  enemy's  pickets  to 
a  stone  fence,  where  they  made  a  stand,  but  the  Seventh 
Tennessee  moved  forward  and  drove  them  back  into  their 
breast-works.  Very  soon  we  could  see  our  army  arriving. 
Groups  of  officers  on  horseback  were  halted  on  top  of  the 
hill  overlooking  the  town,  taking  observations  and  receiving 
orders.  General  Forrest  with  Buford's  and  Jackson's  di- 
visions was  on  the  right  of  the  enemy,  therefore  General 
Chalmers  reported  directly  to  General  Hood.  From  our 
position  we  could  see  three  lines  of  breast-works  encircling 
the  town,  and  each  line  was  full  of  infantry  and  artillery. 
General  Chalmers  sent  his  adjutant  general,  Captain  Good- 
man, to  see  General  Hood,  and  explain  the  situation  and 
ask  for  orders.  Captain  Goodman  returned  with  orders  to 
charge  the  enemy  at  once.  General  Chalmers,  believing 
that  General  Hood  did  not  understand  the  strength  of  the 
enemy  in  his  front,  sent  Lieutenant  Bleecker  to  him,  with 
additional  information  of  the  enemy's  force  and  position,  and 
he  received  the  same  or  similar  answer.  When  Bleecker 
reached  General  Hood  he  heard  him  say  to  General  Cheat- 
ham :  "Get  your  men  in  position,  and  bring  on  the  fight," 


IN  THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  235 

or  something  to  that  effect.  General  Cheatham  turned  to 
several  general  officers  in  the  group  and  said:  "You  hear 
the  order,"  and  General  Brown  repeated  the  same  thing  to 
his  brigadiers,  "You  hear  the  order."  Immediately  they  all 
galloped  off  in  the  direction  of  their  respective  commands, 
and  soon  the  brigades  were  moving  in  columns  of  regiments 
down  the  hill  and  toward  the  enemy.  Bleecker  noticed  a 
young  man  with  a  brigadier's  uniform  'on  and  asked  Captain 
Wigfall,  of  General  Hood's  staff,  who  he  was.  Said  he, 
"  That  is  General  Gordon."  "  No,"  said  Bleecker,  "  I  have 
often  seen  General  Gordon  with  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  that  is  not  he."  "  But,"  said  Wigfall,  "  that  is  George 
W.  Gordon  of  Tennessee."  He  was  mounted  on  a  very  hand- 
some iron-gray  horse,  and  looked  every  inch  an  ideal  soldier. 
Bleecker  watched  him  as  he  rode  away.  He  was  a  superb 
horseman,  and  wore  a  bright  new  uniform  and  sword. 
Bleecker  was  particularly  attracted  by  his  youthfulness,  and 
was  anxious  to  see  him  under  fire.  As  he  rode  back  to  Gen- 
eral Chalmers  with  the  orders  he  saw  General  Gordon  form 
his  line,  then  dismount  and  take  position  on  foot  in  front  of 
his  brigade.  In  a  few  moments  he  advanced,  and  became 
obscured  by  the  smoke  of  battle. 

If  hell  be  more  terrifying  than  the  scenes  of  the  six  or 
seven  hours  which  followed  the  one  above  described  on  the 
hill  overlooking  Franklin,  on  the  afternoon  of  November  30, 
1864,  then  I  abjure  mankind  to  halt  and  consider.  General 
Chalmers  charged  across  a  cornfield,  and  drove  the  enemy 
from  his  first  line  of  works,  which  we  then  occupied,  and 
from  which  we  continued  a  desultory  firing  until  the  enemy 
began  to  retreat,  about  one  A.  M.  To  our  right  the  fighting 


236  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

was  hot  and  fast.  Great  clouds  of  smoke  overhung  both 
lines,  and  we  could  only  see  the  continued  flashes  of  the 
guns.  Our  troops  were  at  a  great  disadvantage.  They  could 
not  use  the  artillery,  because  it  would  have  demolished  the 
city  of  Franklin  and  killed  her  noble  and  patriotic  women. 
The  enemy's  artillery  was  used  with  terrible  effect.  Shells 
went  crashing  and  shrieking  through  the  air,  and  smashing 
and  bounding  over  and  into  the  ground,  oftentimes  explod- 
ing under  the  ground,  and  throwing  up  great  mountains  of 
earth.  The  air  was  filled  with  a  whizzing  blare,  and  after 
night  came  on  the  scene  was  sublimely  and  awfully  grand. 
The  shells  could  be  followed  by  the  burning  fuses,  which 
flashed  and  twittered  like  thousands  of  sky-rockets,  and  when 
they  burst  all  the  sizzling  sounds  of  hell  could  be  heard. 
There  was  no  music  in  them,  and  only  those  who  have  heard 
the  wicked  things  have  any  conception  of  their  shrill  and 
dreadful  noise.  Hundreds  of  these  horrible  shells  were  fired 
at  us  every  few  minutes  for  five  hours.  It  looked  as  if  the 
devil  had  full  possession  of  the  earth. 

When  Cleburne's  and  Brown's  divisions  moved  forward, 
they  charged  across  an  open  field  and  drove  the  enemy  from 
the  first  line  of  earthworks,  and  followed  him  closely  into 
the  inner  works.  In  that  fearful  struggle,  hundreds  of  brave 
men  gave  up  their  lives.  Men  who  had  served  from  the  be- 
ginning, and  had  suffered  through  the  campaigns  of  Bragg 
and  Joe  Johnson,  but  they  fought  with  fierce  energy,  and 
threw  themselves  against  the  enemy's  works  with  the  mad- 
ness of  despair.  Every  color-bearer  was  shot  down,  and 
each  succeeding  hero  who  dared  to  raise  them  was  killed.  It 
is  impossible  to  exaggerate  the  conduct  of  the  Confederates 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  237 

at  Franklin.  Of  the  twelve  generals  whom  Bleecker  saw  in 
conference  with  General  Hood  just  prior  to  the  attack,  five 
were  killed,  three  wounded,  and  one  captured.  General 
John  Adams,  on  horseback,  leading  his  men,  bounded  over 
the  enemy's  works,  and  grasped  the  flag  of  the  Sixty-fifth  Il- 
linois regiment  and  bore  it  to  the  ground.  Was  there  ever  a 
more  gallant  deed?  He  knew  full  well  it  was  a  sacrifice  of 
his  life,  but  he  did  not  hesitate.  He  and  his  noble  steed  died 
side  by  side  at  the  same  instant.  And  the  gallant,  devoted, 
and  chivalrous  Cleburne  was  killed  not  more  than  fifty  yards 
from  the  enemy's  works,  as  was  also  Generals  Cranberry,  of 
the  famous  Texas  brigade,  Strahl  and  Gist,  of  Cheatham's 
corps,  while  Generals  Cockrell,  Quarls,  and  Brown  were 
wounded. 

Bleecker's  hero,  General  George  W.  Gordon,  followed  the 
enemy  into  his  last  works,  where  his  men  and  those  of  the 
enemy  fought  with  such  desperation  that  Gordon's  command 
was  almost  annihilated.  They  were  within  five  feet  of  each 
other.  Nothing  but  a  bank  of  earth  divided  them.  The 
enemy's  position  on  both  the  right  and  the  left  enabled  him, 
therefore,  to  enfilade  Gordon's  line.  It  was  madness  to  con- 
tinue the  struggle,  and  some  of  Gordon's  men  attempted  to 
retreat,  every  one  of  whom  were  killed.  Finally  others 
called  out  to  the  enemy  that  they  would  surrender,  and  they 
crawled  over  the  bank,  leaving  General  Gordon  and  a  few 
men  who  were  near  him.  The  enemy's  fire  was  so  deadly 
that  the  few  left  protected  themselves  behind  the  bodies  of 
their  dead  comrades.  But,  except  General  Gordon  and  two 
others,  those  few  men  were  soon  killed,  and  he  then  gave  his 
white  handkerchief  to  one  of  the  two,  who  tied  it  on  his 


238  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

bayonet  and  raised  it  above  the  works.  The  surrender  was 
accepted,  but  as  they  stepped  down  into  the  ditch,  a  "beast " 
wearing  a  Federal  uniform  made  a  vicious  strike  at  General 
Gordon's  head  with  the  butt  of  his  gun.  A  Federal  officer 
partially  warded  off  the  blow  and  saved  his  life,  but  he  re- 
ceived a  painful  wound  on  the  shoulder. 

We  revere  the  memories  of  the  distinguished  dead,  the 
privates  not  less  than  the  generals.  The  men  who  gave  up 
their  lives  at  Franklin  on  the  Confederate  side  were  martyrs 
to  a  hopeless  cause.  They  felt  regret  at  the  lost  opportunity 
at  Spring  Hill  (not  their  fault),  and  went  blindly  forth  to  re- 
trieve the  errors,  and  were  willing  to  redeem  the  mistakes  of 
their  officers  with  their  lives,  if  necessary.  We  can  not  over- 
estimate their  noble  and  heroic  deeds.  Every  American  cit- 
izen should  feel  a  pride  in  cherishing  the  memory  of  the  gal- 
lant men  who  stormed  the  works  at  Franklin,  as  well  as  those 
who  defended  them.  There  are  some  who  participated  in 
that  dreadful  battle  living,  but  history  will  never  do  justice  to 
their  bravery,  trials,  and  sufferings,  and  on  the  roll  of  honor 
among  the  living,  none  deserve  more  admiration  and  respect 
than  the  modest  and  chivalrous  gentleman  whom  Memphis 
feels  proud  to  claim,  in  the  person  of  General  Geo.  W. 
Gordon. 

When  daylight  dawned  on  Franklin,  Tenn.,  December  i, 
1864,  the  scene  was  indescribable.  About  five  thousand 
Confederates  and  two  thousand  Federals  lay  dead  or  wounded 
in  and  around  the  Federal  breast-works.  In  many  instances, 
Confederates  and  Federals  lay  across  each  other,  and  there 
was  one  case  where  a  Confederate  and  a  Federal  were  found 
dead  in  the  ditch,  the  Confederate  grasping  the  Federal's 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  239 

throat.  Notwithstanding  General  Schofield  retreated  about 
two  A.  M.,  leaving  his  dead  and  wounded  in  our  hands,  our 
army  was  badly  whipped.  The  men  knew  that  no  earthly 
good  had  been  accomplished,  and  that  the  flower  of  the  army 
had  fallen.  They  had  hoped  for  brilliant  results  in  Tennes- 
see, but  met  disaster.  They  could  never  again  look  into  the 
faces  of  the  noble  men,  the  pride  and  glory  of  so  many  bat- 
tles, who  lay  dead  upon  the  field  at  Franklin,  and  their  hearts 
were  filled  with  gloom  and  sorrow.  And  this  was  the  condi- 
tion of  Hood's  army  as  it  moved  toward  Nashville.  During 
the  night,  Breecker's  horse  was  killed,  but  Colonel  McGavock, 
a  distinguished  citizen  of  Franklin,  presented  him  with  a  fine 
colt,  a  four-year-old  thoroughbred,  and  which  had  never  be- 
fore been  saddled.  Colonel  McGavock  had  two  negroes  to 
assist  in  putting  the  saddle  and  bridle  on,  and  then  Bleecker 
mounted.  The  colt  stood  on  his  hind  legs  first,  then  on  his 
front.  He  reared  and  ripped  and  plunged  all  around  the  lot. 
The  negroes  ran  into  the  barn,  and  the  boys  of  the  escort 
looked  on  from  the  outside  and  laughed.  There  seemed  to 
be  no  end  of  the  colt's  ambition  to  throw  Bleecker  off,  but  he 
finally  quieted  down  and  fell  in  with  the  escort  company  and 
became  a  cavalry  horse. 

The  night  of  December  ist,  we  arrived  at  the  hospitable 
home  of  Colonel  John  Overton,  where  we  remained  until  the 
following  morning.  It  was  a  typical  "  Southern  gentleman's 
palace,"  situated  in  a  beautiful  grove,  surrounded  by  well- 
cultivated  acres,  fine  orchards,  herds  of  thoroughbred  cattle, 
a  stable  of  blooded  horses,  and  a  retinue  of  trained  servants ; 
and  we  were  royally  received  and  charmingly  entertained. 
Miss  White  May,  a  most  accomplished  and  patriotic  young 


240  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

lady,  a  member  of  Colonel  Overton's  family,  contributed 
very  much  to  our  pleasure,  and  won  the  admiration  and  es- 
teem of  General  Chalmers  and  his  staff.  Our  chief  surgeon, 
Dr.  G.  W.  Henderson,  a  gentleman  of  the  most  accom- 
plished manners,  who  had  the  highest  appreciation  of  ladies 
of  almost  any  man  the  writer  ever  knew,  expressed  to  Miss 
May,  upon  our  leaving  the  next  day,  the  great  happiness  he 
felt,  and  assured  her  that  he  would  never  forget  the  visit  to 
her  home.  The  doctor,  I  am  sure,  made  a  favorable  and 
pleasant  impression  on  the  family.  He  was  a  good  conversa- 
tionalist, a  talent  inherited,  no  doubt,  from  his  distinguished 
ancestor,  Chief-Justice  Henderson,  of  North  Carolina. 
Bleecker  and  the  doctor  were  the  last  to  leave,  and  they 
were  both  willing  to  surrender,  but  circumstances  would  not 
permit.  They  finally  said  good-bye  and  rode  toward  the 
"big  gate."  The  doctor  had  loaned  one  of  his  pistols  to  a 
friend,  and  the  remaining  one  kept  him  busy  keeping  his 
holster  in  place  on  the  front  of  his  saddle.  They  had  gone 
about  fifty  yards,  when  the  holster,  to  which  was  attached 
his  halter-rein,  fell  to  the  ground,  and  the  horse,  becoming 
frightened,  made  a  sudden  bound,  turning  the  saddle  and 
throwing  the  doctor  off.  Bleecker  was  greatly  alarmed  for 
the  safety  of  his  friend,  but  the  fiery  colt  which  he  was  riding 
began  to  plunge,  and  he  was  unable  to  dismount  for  some 
minutes.  Miss  White  May  and  Mrs.  Overton,  seeing  the 
doctor  on  the  ground,  and  supposing  he  was  dangerously 
hurt,  ran  as  rapidly  as  they  could  to  his  assistance.  The 
doctor  gained  a  sitting  posture,  but  his  back  being  toward 
the  house,  he  did  not  see  the  ladies  approaching,  and  just  as 
they  came  within  speaking  distance,  he  began  to  curse  his 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  241 

horse  for  being  such  a  d fool.     Then,  turning  his  head, 

he  saw  the  ladies,  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  begged  pardon  for 
his  hasty  words.  The  ladies  made  no  reply,  but  with  sincere 
concern  urged  him  to  return  to  the  house.  He  assured 
them  he  was  not  hurt,  and  soon  we  were  galloping  on  to 
catch  the  command.  After  going  some  distance,  they 
halted,  when  the  doctor  asked  Bleecker  if  he  remembered 
what  he  said,  because  it  was  very  certain  the  ladies  heard 
him,  and  he  was  deeply  grieved.  He  declared  he  would 
never  swear  again,  and  told  Bleecker  he  must  never  speak 
of  the  circumstance  to  any  one.  Said  he:  "The  thought 

of  the  d old  horse  throwing  me  in  the   presence   of 

ladies!" 

We  reached  the  vicinity  of  Nashville,  and  General  Chal- 
mers was  invited  to  make  his  headquarters  at  historic  "Belle 
Meade,"  the  home  of  General  W.  G.  Harding.  We  occupied 
all  that  portion  of  the  line  extending  from  the  Harding  pike 
to  the  Cumberland  river.  Each  morning  we  rode  out  to  the 
line  and  returned  about  four  in  the  afternoon  for  dinner.  On 
December  6th,  General  Hood  notified  General  Chalmers  that 
General  Stewart  would  relieve  him  on  the  Harding  pike,  and 
that  he  could  move  his  troops  at  once  to  the  Charlotte  pike 
near  the  river,  and  orders  were  sent  to  Colonel  Rucker  ac- 
cordingly, and  he  withdrew.  When  we  reached  the  line  we 
found  a  brigade  of  infantry  (Ector's)  standing  in  column. 
Soon  General  Stewart  rode  up,  and  asked  about  the  distance 
to  the  picket  line.  General  Chalmers  answered  that  his 
force  had  been  relieved,  that  he  had  no  pickets  on  the  Hard- 
ing pike,  and  suggested  that  a  line  be  advanced  at  once. 
General  Stewart  then  requested  General  Chalmers  to  send 


242  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

out  a  squad  to  locate  the  enemy's  lines.  He  called  on 
Bleecker  to  take  five  men  from  the  escort  company  and  do 
this.  Bleecker  selected  D.  R.  Wagner,  W.  J.  Hughes,  F.  M. 
Norfleet,  J.  T.  West,  and  W.  G.  Robinson.  There  was  a 
heavy  fog  that  morning  which  prevented  them  from  seeing 
distinctly  more  than  thirty  yards  beyond  them.  They  rode 
on  about  half  a  mile,  and  suddenly  came  in  sight  of  a  fire 
on  the  side  of  the  pike  and  heard  men  talking.  Bleecker 
halted,  and  called  on  Dan  Wagner  to  go  forward  with  him  to 
ascertain  whether  they  were  friends  or  foes,  and  left  the  other 
four  to  await  developments.  Bleecker  was  riding  the  high- 
strung  McGavock  colt,  and  proceeded  cautiously  to  within 
twenty  yards  of  the  fire  before  they  were  discovered,  when 
a  man  said:  "Look  there!  Look  there!"  and  quickly  a 
considerable  squad  began  firing.  Bleecker  and  his  party 
wheeled  and  ran.  They  went  racing  down  the  pike,  and  the 
enemy  continued  to  fire,  but  fortunately  neither  of  them  was 
hurt.  Bleecker  discovered  that  he  had  a  great  horse,  which 
ran  easily  ahead  of  the  others,  but  when  he  wanted  to  halt, 
that  was  another  question.  He  neared  the  point  where  Gen- 
erals Stewart  and  Chalmers  were,  and  began  to  pull  his 
rein,  but  the  colt  went  bounding  on  like  a  frightened  deer. 
He  ran  fully  half  a  mile  before  he  stopped,  and  when  he 
returned  General  Chalmers  had  moved  on.  He  did  not  find 
him  again  during  the  day.  All  the  boys  wanted  the  McGavock 
colt. 

General  Forrest,  with  Buford's  and  Jackson's  divisions,  was 
at  Murfreesboro,  and  remained  in  that  vicinity  until  after  the 
disaster  at  Nashville. 


LIEUT.  BLEECKER,  SEPT.,  1864. 


IN   THE   CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  243 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  NASHVILLE — VERY  COLD  WEATHER — HUN- 
DREDS OF  MEN  BAREFOOTED — GENERAL  CHALMERS' 
GALLANT  FIGHT  AT  DAVIDSON'S  LANDING — COLONEL 
RUCKER'S  PERSONAL  FIGHT  AND  CAPTURE— GENERAL 
FORREST  SAVES  THE  ARMY — RECROSS  THE  TENNESSEE 
RIVER. 

On  the  gth  of  December,  the  weather  became  very  cold, 
and  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  was  followed  by  sleet.  The  in- 
fantry suffered  very  greatly.  Many  of  them  were  without 
shoes,  and  had  very  scant  clothing,  but,  fortunately,  there 
was  little  or  no  fighting ;  therefore,  they  could  remain  by  the 
fires  when  not  on  duty.  During  that  awful  weather,  General 
Chalmers  and  his  staff  were  the  guests  at  "Belle  Meade," 
the  hospitable  home  of  General  Harding.  Mrs.  Harding  was 
a  lady  of  marked  character  and  ability.  She  presided  over 
that  grand  old  home  with  unsurpassed  elegance,  and  I  venture 
to  speak  for  all  the  party,  when  I  say  they  were  never  better 
or  more  hospitably  entertained.  General  Harding  had  two 
daughters.  The  eldest,  Miss  Seline,  barely  grown,  while  the 
other,  Miss  Mary,  was  scarcely  more  than  a  child,  and  yet 
she  was  capable  of  entertaining  the  most  intelligent  men  of 
the  party.  They  were  both  very  patriotic  and  loyal  to  the 
cause,  but  Miss  Seline  was  enthusiastic.  Dr.  Henderson 
would  tell  Bleecker,  after  they  retired  at  night,  about  his 
hunt  for  human  happiness.  Said  he:  "I  have  at  last  found 
it.  Here  is  a  man  with  vast  estates,  surrounded  by  all  the 


244          PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

comforts  and  luxuries  which  the  most  cultivated  mind  can 
suggest,  an  accomplishrd  wife  and  lovely  daughters;  what 
else  can  he  desire  ?  The  doctor  employed  the  choicest 
rhetoric  in  speaking  of  Miss  Seline.  He  thought  she  was 
the  most  beautiful  and  interesting  girl  he  had  ever  met,  and 
that  was  the  opinion  also  of  the  others.  One  night  during 
the  inclement  weather,  Mrs.  Harding  made  a  large  bowl  of 
snow  cream.  The  doctor  was  very  fond  of  it,  and  she  gave 
him  a  smaller  bowl  to  take  to  our  room.  After  eating  what 
we  wanted,  he  placed  the  bowl  on  the  window-sill  outside  of 
the  blind,  and  cautioned  Bleecker  not  to  open  the  blind  for 
fear  of  knocking  it  off.  The  general  had  given  instructions 
for  an  early  start  the  following  morning.  The  curtains  in 
our  room  were  closely  drawn,  and  the  blinds  being  closed, 
we  did  not  awake  until  Captain  Goodman  walked  into  the 
room,  calling  on  us  to  get  up.  The  doctor  sprang  out  of  bed 
and  threw  open  the  blinds  to  see  how  late  it  was.  Of  course, 
it  was  the  very  window  in  which  he  left  the  snow  cream,  and 
the  bowl  was  thrown  to  the  stone  walk  below.  The  doctor 
was  grieved  very  greatly,  and  walked  the  room  and  swore  at 
his  bad  luck.  Said  he  :  "  If  it  had  been  an  ordinary  bowl,  I 
could  replace  it ;  in  fact,  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  do  so. 
But  it  was  a  piece  of  that  beautiful  set  of  imported  ware, 
which  can  not  be  matched  in  the  world."  Bleecker  felt 
much  sympathy  for  his  friend,  and  tried  to  comfort  him,  but 
nothing  he  said  seemed  to  improve  matters.  Finally  he  de- 
termined to  try  another  plan,  and  said  :  "  Doctor,  when  the 
horse  threw  you  at  Colonel  Overton's,  you  promised  "- 
"Shut  up!  shut  up!  d — you  !"  said  he,  "do  n't  you  try  to 
read  moral  lessons  to  me  ;  the  occasion  requires  heroic  treat- 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  245 

ment."  But  the  doctor  was  as  brave  as  he  was  cultivated, 
and  he  went  down  to  gather  the  fragments,  and  to  make  his 
confession  to  Mrs.  Harding.  Bleecker  followed,  and  to  the 
great  delight  of  both  the  bowl  was  not  broken.  It  fell  into  a 
drift  of  snow.  Bleecker  promised  he  would  not  tell  what 
happened,  but  he  could  not  keep  it  from  the  general,  and 
soon  all  were  enjoying  the  doctor's  secret. 

Soon  after  our  army  arrived  at  Nashville,  General  Forrest, 
with  Buford's  and  Jackson's  divisions,  moved  toward  Mur- 
freesboro  to  destroy  the  stockades  and  bridges  along  the 
Nashville  and  Chattanooga  Railroad,  and  prevent  the  enemy 
from  receiving  any  assistance  from  that  quarter.  General 
Chalmers  was,  therefore,  in  command  of  the  cavalry  at 
Nashville.  About  2  A.  M.  of  December  15th,  General  Hood 
sent  a  courier  with  a  note  to  General  Chalmers,  stating  that 
the  enemy  would  attack  our  lines  that  morning.  We  hurried 
over  to  Davidson's  Landing,  on  the  Charlotte  pike,  and  found 
Rucker  in  a  desperate  fight  with  a  greatly  superior  force.  It 
was  about  the  break  of  day,  and  the  enemy  was  forming  a 
column  of  cavalry  to  charge  down  the  pike.  This  force  was 
in  addition  to  the  troops  fighting  Rucker.  General  Chalmers 
quickly  got  a  battery  of  smooth-bore  guns  in  position,  and, 
when  the  column  of  cavalry  crossed  the  branch  and  started 
up  the  hill,  grape  shot  were  used  with  fearful  effect.  It  was 
a  terrible  scene.  Men  and  horses  were  killed,  and  others 
stumbled  and  fell  over  them.  Our  guns  continued  to  fire, 
and  the  enemy  on  the  right,  shocked  by  the  result,  began  to 
retreat.  Rucker  saw  the  opportunity,  and,  grasping  a  flag, 
raised  it  above  his  head  and  ordered  a  charge.  He  dashed 
along  in  front  of  his  line,  urging  his  men  to  push  on.  At  the 


2-16  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

same  time,  General  Chalmers  with  his  escort  charged  them 
on  the  left,  and  within  three  minutes  the  enemy  was  on  the" 
run.  We  followed  about  a  mile,  until  they  reached  their 
breast-works.  As  we  drove  them  back,  we  were  joined  by 
Colonel  Mark  Cockrell,  mounted  on  a  good  horse.  He  rode 
in  front,  and  called  to  our  men  to  come  on.  The  field  be- 
longed to  Colonel  Cockrell,  and  he  was  not  less  than  seventy- 
five  years  of  age,  and  had  little,  if  any,  use  of  his  right  arm. 
He  held  the  reins  in  his  mouth  and  his  hat  in  his  right  hand. 
He  was  a  picture,  and  his  presence  and  bravery  inspired  our 
men  to  superhuman  efforts.  Unlike  Dr.  Henderson,  he  had 
taken  no  pledge,  and  he  rode  and  swore  in  the  very  faces  of 
the  foes.  During  that  charge  we  lost  many  good  men.  All 
of  the  officers  of  the  escort  were  severely  wounded,  and  two 
were  left  in  the  enemy's  lines  and  died  in  prison.  In  the 
meantime,  General  Hood's  line  had  been  driven  back,  and 
we  found  ourselves  some  three  miles  in  advance  of  any  other 
troops.  We  fell  back  to  Davidson's  Landing,  and  the  gun- 
boats on  the  river  began  to  throw  their  big  shells  over  us. 
They,  however,  did  little  damage.  We  could  hear  firing  far 
to  our  rear,  and  the  indications  seemed  that  we  were  cut  off. 
About  4  P.  M.,  General  Chalmers  decided  to  fall  back,  and, 
if  possible,  join  the  main  body  of  our  retreating  army.  He 
ordered  Bleecker  ahead,  with  the  escort  company,  as  advance 
guard,  with  instructions  to  cross  Walnut  Ridge,  and  find  the 
wagons  which  had  been  left  on  General  Harding's  race  track. 
General  Chalmers  followed  with  Kelly's  regiment,  and  Col- 
onel Rucker  with  his  brigade.  Bleecker  and  the  escort 
reached  a  point  opposite  "Belle  Meade,"  and,  though  the 
ridge  was  very  steep,  he  succeeded  in  crossing,  the  men  dis- 


7Ar  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  247 

mounting  and  leading  their  horses.  General  Chalmers,  with 
Kelly's  regiment,  passed  about  a  mile  beyond  and  crossed. 
The  weather  was  intensely  cold,  and  snow  and  ice  covered 
the  ground.  Bleecker  reached  the  race  track  and  found  the 
wagons  had  been  burned.  He  rode  down  near  the  pike,  and 
saw  Federal  soldiers  moving  about  in  the  yard  of  Belle 
Meade.  Several  of  them  had  no  guns.  Some  were  on  foot, 
others  were  mounted.  He  concluded  it  was  a  good  oppor- 
tunity, and  moved  the  company  around  and  behind  the  barn, 
where  they  formed  for  a  charge.  The  boys  went  yelling  and 
firing  as  they  passed  through  the  yard.  The  enemy,  some 
two  hundred  in  number,  were  surprised  and  ran.  They  had 
no  idea  there  was  a  Confederate  soldier  in  the  neighborhood. 
Bleecker  pushed  through  the  park,  but,  when  near  the  creek, 
found  a  line  of  infantry  behind  a  rock  fence,  and  fell  back. 
The  enemy  opened  a  hot  fire,  and,  as  the  boys  returned 
through  the  yard,  the  bullets  were  clipping  the  shrubbery, 
and  striking  the  house.  Nine  of  the  enemy  were  killed  or 
wounded,  and  some  fifteen  captured.  As  they  rode  back, 
Bleecker  saw  Miss  Seline  Harding  standing  on  the  stone  arm 
of  the  front  steps  waving  her  handkerchief.  The  bullets 
were  falling  thick  and  fast  about  her,  but  she  had  no  fear  in 
her  heart.  She  looked  like  a  goddess.  She  was  the  gamest 
little  human  being  in  all  the  crowd.  Bleecker  passed  and 
caught  the  handkerchief,  and  urged  her  to  go  into  the  house, 
but  she  would  not,  until  the  boys  had  disappeared  behind  the 
barn.  They  fell  back  across  the  pike,  and  awaited  the  com- 
ing of  General  Chalmers,  who  soon  arrived.  It  was  then 
dark,  and  Bleecker  explained  the  situation  to  the  general, 


248  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

when  he  advanced  a  skirmish  line  and  deceived  the  enemy  as 
to  his  intentions. 

From  prisoners  captured  we  found  that  General  Wilson's 
cavalry  had  gone  south  on  the  Harding  pike,  and  we  then 
moved  through  the  fields  and  woods  toward  our  army,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  through,  and  by  chance,  found  the  left  of 
General  Hood's  line,  which  had  formed  for  a  second  defense. 
This  was  about  daylight.  Chalmers  ordered  General  Rucker 
to  guard  the  left  flank,  while  he  moved  with  his  escort  and 
Kelly's  regiment  toward  Brentwood  to  find  General  Hood. 
As  we  passed  along  we  came  in  sight  of  a  column  of  Fed- 
eral cavalry,  which  we  charged  and  dispersed,  then  very  soon 
caught  up  with  General  Cheatham's  ambulances  and  some 
wagons,  which  we  escorted  to  the  Franklin  pike.  Arriving 
at  Brentwood,  we  met  General  Hood,  who  quickly  inquired, 
"What  command  is  that?"  Upon  being  told,  he  instructed 
General  Chalmers  to  form  his  men  across  the  pike  and  halt, 
and  put  in  line  every  man  going  to  the  rear.  We  succeeded 
in  getting  about  five  hundred  in  line,  when  the  stragglers  be- 
gan to  crowd  through,  and  finally  all  left  us.  General  Hood 
was  greatly  distressed,  and  said:  "They  are  the  people,  let 
them  go.  Now  is  the  time  for  soldiers."  Those  men  were 
barefooted  and  disheartened;  the  greatly  superior  numbers 
of  the  enemy  had  driven  them  back,  and  they  were  thor- 
oughly demoralized.  There  was  no  occasion  during  the  war 
that  tried  men  more  than  that  at  Nashville.  Ordinary  sol- 
diers will  go  forward  and  perform  gallant  deeds  when  the 
enemy  is  retreating,  but  it  takes  a  hero  to  stand  against 
overwhelming  numbers  advancing  on  him.  Any  soldier  will 
laugh  and  cheer  as  he  advances,  but  it  takes  a  man  to 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  249 

smile  on  a  retreat.  While  we  were  at  Brentwood,  General 
Rucker  was.  attacked  by  a  large  force.  Some  of  his  men 
were  driven  back,  leaving  a  gap  in  his  line.  He  moved 
ahead  with  the  Seventh  Alabama  to  strike  the  enemy's  flank, 
and  placed  them  in  position,  then  he  rode  a  short  distance 
to  a  point  where  he  expected  to  find  the  Twelfth  Tennessee, 
and  found  himself  surrounded  by  a  regiment  of  Federal  cav- 
alry. He  at  first  thought  they  were  his  men,  and  asked  for 
the  colonel.  As  the  commanding  officer  rode  to  meet  him 
Rucker  discovered  he  was  a  Federal,  and  drew  his  saber. 
The  Federal  officer  did  the  same,  and  like  game-cocks  they 
began  the  battle.  Rucker  make  a  desperate  rush  at  his  an- 
tagonist, striking  with  all  his  power,  and  somehow  dropped 
his  saber,  but  instantly  caught  the  Federal  officer's  arm  and 
wrenched  the  saber  from  his  hand  and  struck  him  a  heavy 
blow  with  it.  Very  quickly  he  was  surrounded,  but  with 
that  energy,  determination,  and  perhaps  recklessness,  which 
we  had  so  often  seen  in  Rucker,  he  tried  to  escape.  He 
plunged  the  spurs  into  his  horse,  and  forced  his  way,  but 
he  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  the  enemy  began  to 
shout,  "Kill  the  man  on  the  white  horse,"  and  hundreds 
of  shots  were  fired  at  him.  A  man  tried  to  cut  him  off,  but 
Colonel  Rucker  struck  him  with  the  saber  he  had  taken 
from  the  Federal  colonel,  and  dismounted  him.  Just  at  that 
moment,  however,  a  ball  shattered  his  left  arm  above  the 
elbow,  and  another  killed  his  horse.  Both  fell,  and  the 
enemy  rushed  on  him  like  wolves.  They  had  no  mercy  for 
him,  though  he  was  almost  unconscious  from  the  fall.  They 
pulled  and  hauled  him  around,  swearing  and  calling  him 
ugly  names.  He  was  finally  moved  to  Nashville,  where  his 


250  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

arm  was  amputated.  Colonel  Rucker  was  promoted,  and 
made  a  brigadier-general,  but  he  was  never  able  during  the 
remainder  of  the  war  to  assume  command.  He  is  now  a 
citizen  of  Birmingham,  Ala. 

By  the  night  of  December  i6th,  our  army  was  in  hasty 
retreat.  The  Federal  forces  under  General  Thomas  num- 
bered about  fifty  thousand  infantry,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
pieces  of  artillery,  and  twelve  thousand  cavalry,  while  Gen- 
eral Hood's  force  amounted  to  twenty-two  thousand  infantry, 
eighty  pieces  of  artillery,  and  eighteen  hundred  cavalry.  It 
does  seem,  therefore,  that  Hood  made  a  noble  resistance  at 
Nashville,  and  why  Thomas  did  not  cut  him  off  and  capture 
the  entire  force  before  crossing  the  Tennessee  river,  is  a 
matter  for  investigation.  The  wisdom  of  this  campaign  has 
been  severely  criticised.  All  night  our  troops  trudged  along 
toward  Franklin.  The  ground  was  frozen,  and  many  of 
the  men  barefooted,  and  scarcely  any  organization  could  be 
found.  Had  the  situation  been  reversed,  and  Forrest  in 
command  of  nine  thousand  cavalry,  following  the  defeated 
twenty  thousand  men,  not  one  of  them  would  have  escaped. 
The  Federal  cavalry  in  pursuit  of  Hood's  army  from  Nash- 
ville was  very  poorly  handled.  In  fact,  the  conduct  of  the 
officers,  had  they  been  Confederates,  would  have  been  re- 
garded as  criminal. 

The  morning  of  December  iyth  our  troops  were  all  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  big  Harpeth.  General  S.  D.  Lee  with 
about  four  thousand  infantry  was  in  line  on  the  hill  south 
of  Franklin  to  check  the  enemy's  advance.  General  Buford 
joined  us  at  Franklin,  with  Bell's  and  Lyon's  brigades.  The 
cavalry  was  all  under  the  command  of  General  Chalmers. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  251 

Bell's  brigade  was  skirmishing  with  the  enemy  across  the 
river,  and  General  Lee  rode  in  that  direction,  and  soon 
received  a  wound  in  the  foot,  and  was  compelled  to  give  up 
the  command  to  Major-General  C.  L.  Stevenson.  As  soon 
as  the  straggling,  foot-sore  and  starving  men  were  out  of 
reach  we  fell  back  toward  Spring  Hill.  About  six  miles 
distant  we  halted  again,  and  formed  on  the  crest  of  a  hill 
just  south  of  a  brick  church.  It  was  nearly  night,  very  cold, 
and  a  mist  or  fog  hung  over  every  thing.  The  infantry  con- 
tinued the  march,  and  Chalmers  and  Buford  were  left  to 
resist  the  attack  of  nearly  five  times  their  number.  Soon  we 
saw  the  enemy's  advance  guard  halt  near  the  church.  Gen- 
eral Stevenson  asked  if  they  were  our  troops.  General 
Chalmers  answered,  "  No,  they  are  Yankees,"  and  before 
the  brief  conversation  ended  ten  or  twelve  guns  opened  on 
us,  and  one  among  the  first  shots  struck  one  of  Walton's 
pieces  full  in  the  mouth,  and  knocked  it  off  the  carriage. 
In  an  instant  the  cavalry  was  on  us,  some  firing  their 
carbines,  others  using  their  sabers.  It  was  a  terrible  mixing 
up  of  men  and  horses.  The  writer  saw  a  Yankee  slash  Gen- 
eral Buford  twice  over  the  shoulders  with  his  saber,  and  he 
was  paid  for  his  daring  by  two  bullets  from  General  Chal- 
mers' pistol.  We  were  overpowered  and  driven  back,  but 
the  infantry  halted,  and  we  formed  again.  The  enemy, 
however,  did  not  renew  the  attack  that  night.  It  was  a 
dreadful  night,  the  mud  about  a  foot  deep  was  frozen,  but 
not  sufficiently  to  bear  the  weight  of  our  horses  and  the 
artillery. 

We  reached  Spring  Hill,  and  found  that  General  Cheatham 
had    thrown  up   temporary  breast-works,   and   he  remained 


252  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

there  until  the  wagons  and  artillery  were  safely  across  the 
Duck  river.  The  enemy  made  two  attacks  upon  us,  but 
were  easily  repulsed.  We  crossed  Duck  river,  and  remained 
at  Columbia  the  night  of  the  igth,  when  General  Forrest 
reached  us.  General  Hood  immediately  sent  for  him,  and 
after  discussing  the  situation  said  he  had  great  fear  for  the 
safety  of  the  army.  General  Forrest  replied  that  he  would 
undertake  to  defend  the  rear  of  the  army  if  he  would  give 
him  Walthall  and  about  four  thousand  infantry  in  addition 
to  his  cavalry  force.  General  Hood  promised  to  do  so,  and 
detailed  Walthall's  division  of  Stewart's  corps  for  the  service, 
but  there  were  less  than  two  thousand  men  in  the  division 
for  duty,  and  fully  a  third  of  those  barefooted.  The  wagons 
and  whatever  else  was  left  of  Hood's  army  moved  south 
from  Columbia  early  on  the  morning  of  the  aoth,  leaving 
General  Forrest  with  the  small  infantry  force  and  about  three 
thousand  cavalry  to  hold  in  check  the  advancing  Federals. 
The  enemy  made  no  effort  to  cross  the  river  that  morning, 
but  late  in  the  afternoon  began  to  shell  the  city  of  Columbia 
most  furiously.  General  Forrest  rode  to  the  river  bank  under 
a  flag  of  truce,  and  asked  that  the  Federal  commander  come 
to  the  opposite  shore.  General  Forrest  assured  him  (Gen- 
eral Hatch)  that  there  was  not  a  Confederate  soldier  in  the 
town,  but  that  there  were  some  two  thousand  prisoners,  some 
of  them  wounded,  while  others  were  sick  and  suffering  from 
the  severe  cold.  General  Hatch  then  ordered  the  shelling 
to  cease.  General  Forrest  then  proposed  to  exchange  the 
prisoners  for  the  same  number  of  our  men,  and  after  two 
hours  or  so  the  answer  came  from  General  Thomas  that  he 
refused  to  exchange  the  prisoners,  or  to  accept  those  Forrest 


MAJOR-GENERAL  EDWARD  GARY  WAI.THALL. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  253 

had  on  parole.  General  Forrest  said  then  to  General  Hatch 
that  many  of  them  were  without  proper  clothing,  and  they 
would,  therefore,  most  likely  die  from  exposure,  but  the 
Federal  officers  would  not  accept  them  on  parole.  Per- 
haps when  the  final  Judge  shall  call  all  men  before  the  bar 
to  answer  for  their  actions,  Thomas  and  Hatch  will  be  met  by 
the  thousands  of  poor  Federal  prisoners  who  died  from  cold 
and  wounds  on  that  retreat. 

Forrest  remained  at  Columbia  until  the  morning  of  the 
22d,  then  fell  back  about  three  miles  and  occupied  a  most 
favorable  position  between  two  large  hills  near  Lynnville. 
By  this  time,  all  our  forces  and  the  wagons  were  safely  on 
the  way  to  the  south.  There  was  desperate  fighting  between 
Lynnville  and  Pulaski,  but  the  enemy  never  once  broke  our 
line.  Walthall's  men  displayed  great  courage,  as  did  also 
their  commander.  General  Walthall  was  an  inspiration.  He 
was  courtly  and  brave,  and  his  tall,  handsome  form,  splendid 
bearing,  and  fine,  intelligent  face  will  never  be  forgotten  by 
the  men  of  that  army.  His  deeds  will  forever  shed  luster  on 
the  Confederate  army  and  upon  the  American  people.  He 
was  always  ready,  always  prompt,  and  always  wise.  He 
never  failed  to  accomplish  what  he  was  ordered  to  do,  or  in 
what  he  undertook  on  his  own  responsibility.  He  was  the 
highest  type  of  an  American  soldier  and  gentleman,  and  is 
to-day  the  ideal  representative  of  the  South  in  the  United 
States  Senate. 

No  man  in  the  world  ever  had  greater  responsibilities  rest- 
ing upon  him  than  did  General  Forrest  on  the  retreat  from 
Columbia,  but  he  met  them  with  great  skill  and  cheerfulness. 
With  a  force  of  less  than  five  thousand  men,  he  was  called  to 


254          PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

hold  in  check  an  army  of  fifty  thousand.  The  writer  does 
not  believe  that  any  other  man  on  earth  could  have  done  this. 
Forrest  represented  in  war  what  Cicero  did  in  literature.  He 
had  a  love  for  the  right  and  a  sincere  respect  for  any  demand 
for  fairness.  He  was  strong  in  character,  profound  in  strat- 
egy, and  forceful  in  battle.  We  will  never  see  his  like  again. 
We  crossed  the  Tennessee  river  at  Bainbridge  on  Decem- 
ber the  27th,  Chalmers'  division  being  the  last  to  cross,  and 
moved  quietly  toward  the  prairie  country  for  rest  and  food. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  annals  of  war  that  will  compare  with 
the  retreat  from  Nashville,  particularly  from  Columbia  to  the 
Tennessee  river,  and  the  conduct  of  the  men  under  Forrest 
will  stand  forever  without  a  parallel. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  255 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

REORGANIZATION  OF  FORREST'S  CAVALRY  AT  COLUMBUS, 
Miss. — THE  SURRENDER — GENERAL  FORREST'S  FARE- 
WELL ADDRESS — TRIBUTE  TO  GENERAL  GRANT. 

After  reaching  Corinth,  the  men  who  lived  in  Alabama, 
Tennessee,  and  Mississippi  were  furloughed,  for  the  purpose 
of  getting  fresh  horses  and  better  clothing.  The  Confeder- 
ate Government,  recognizing  the  great  services  of  General 
Forrest,  made  him  a  lieutenant-general  on  February  28, 
1865,  and  gave  him  command  of  all  the  cavalry  in  the  De- 
partment of  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  East  Louisiana,  and 
he  immediately  began  to  reorganize  his  forces.  General 
Chalmers  was  given  a  division  composed  of  three  brigades 
of  Mississippians,  commanded  by  Brigadier-Generals  Frank 
C.  Armstrong,  Wirt  Adams,  and  P.  B.  Starke,  numbering 
four  thousand  five  hundred  men.  General  Buford's  division 
was  made  up  of  Alabama  and  Kentucky  troops,  while  the 
division  commanded  by  General  W.  H.  Jackson  comprised 
the  Tennessee  and  Texas  troops,  about  six  thousand  men, 
making  a  total  of  ten  thousand  five  hundred  men.  Chalmers' 
division  had  camped  at  Columbus,  Miss.,  for  several  weeks, 
but  about  the  middle  of  March  he  was  ordered  to  move  to 
Selma  with  all  possible  haste  to  meet  General  Wilson,  who 
had  started  in  that  direction  with  fifteen  thousand  troops. 
Adams'  brigade  was  left  at  Columbus  to  guard  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio  Road.  Jackson  was  ordered  to  Monte  Vallo,  Ala., 
while  Buford's  division  was  not  yet  organized.  Forrest 


256          PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS.  ETC., 

therefore  went  forward  with  about  six  thousand  men  to  meet 
perhaps  the  best  equipped  cavalry  force  that  had  ever  been 
organized  up  to  that  time.  Wilson  carried  an  immense 
wagon  train,  with  a  complete  pontoon  bridge,  capable  of 
spanning  any  river  except  the  Mississippi.  Besides,  he  had 
pack  mules;  also  ample  forage  and  other  supplies.  Wilson 
suddenly  changed  his  direction  toward  Monte  Vallo,  and  de- 
stroyed all  the  furnaces  on  the  North  and  South  Alabama 
Railroad.  In  the  meantime,  it  began  to  rain,  and  all  creeks 
and  rivers  were  soon  impassable  to  our  forces.  Wilson,  ap- 
preciating the  value  of  his  boats,  bridged  the  different 
streams,  and  threw  overwhelming  odds  against  our  scattered 
forces  and  drove  them  off.  It  was  impossible  to  concentrate 
our  troops,  because  of  impassable  and  swollen  streams,  the 
bridges  having  been  all  washed  away.  General  Forrest 
could  not  communicate  with  General  Chalmers  until  the 
morning  of  April  the  ist,  and  by  this  time  the  enemy  had 
possession  of  every  favorable  position.  Forrest  made  an 
effort  to  reach  Selma  with  sufficient  force  to  defend  the  place, 
but  was  unable  to  do  so,  and  there  was  fierce  fighting  for  sev- 
eral days.  When  he  realized  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
head  Wilson  off,  he  moved  to  Marion,  and  then  to  Gaines- 
ville, Ala.  At  the  latter  place,  we  heard  of  the  surrender 
of  General  Lee,  and  in  a  few  days  heard  that  Mobile  had 
fallen  also.  After  a  few  days  of  further  waiting,  General 
Taylor  surrendered  the  department,  when  all  the  proud 
hopes,  lofty  ambitions,  long,  weary  marches,  desperate  bat- 
tles, and  anxiety  for  loved  ones  at  home,  found  an  end. 

We  remained  at  Gainesville  until  May  the  pth,  when  the 
commissioner  appointed  by  the   United  States  Government 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  257 

(General  E.  S.  Dennis)  arrived,  and  began  to  parole  our  men. 
While  we  waited,  the  men  became  very  restless,  and  were 
anxious  to  get  home.  They  had  suffered  for  several  years 
without  reward,  except  the  consciousness  of  having  made  the 
grandest  soldiers  in  all  the  world's  history. 

At  the  last  reorganization,  Bleecker  was  permanently  as- 
signed to  the  escort  company,  and  was  in  command  at  the 
surrender.  He  was  devoted  to  the  boys,  and  the  partings 
were  with  much  regret  and  deep  feelings.  While  they  waited 
for  the  last  act  of  the  war,  they  amused  themselves  running 
horse  and  foot  races.  They  were  camped  near  the  Tombig- 
bee  river,  along  the  bank  of  which  was  a  beautiful  track  of 
some  six  or  eight  hundred  yards.  Bleecker  was  very  fleet- 
footed,  and  the  escort  company  were  willing  to  back  him 
against  all  comers.  He  had  never  been  beaten.  Finally 
Buford's  Kentucky  brigade  sent  a  man  over  to  take  the 
honors  from  him.  It  was  a  memorable  occasion.  The 
Kentuckians  lined  up  on  one  side  of  the  track,  and 
Bleecker's  friends  on  the  other.  One  hundred  yards  were 
measured  off,  and  they  toed  the  line.  Men  bet  their 
horses,  saddles,  spurs,  pistols,  and  even  their  pocket  knives. 
The  word  was  given,  and  away  they  sped.  Bleecker 
would  rather  have  died  than  had  the  boys  disappointed  in 
him,  and  there  was  no  occasion  in  his  life  when  his  pride  was 
more  at  stake.  They  ran  breast  and  breast  for  fifty  yards  or 
so,  then  Bleecker  took  the  lead  and  won  easily.  It  was  the 
proudest  moment  of  his  life.  Friends  raised  him  off  his  feet 
and  carried  him  above  their  heads.  The  Kentucky  boys 
took  their  defeat  heroically,  but  they  lost  every  thing. 

Before  bidding  good-bye  to  the  soldiers,  General  Forrest 


258  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

issued  a  farewell  address,  which  we  give  in  full,  and  which 
illustrates  his  character : 

HEADQUARTERS  FORREST'S  CAVALRY  CORPS, 
GAINESVILLE,  ALA.,  May  9,  1865. 

Soldiers — By  an  agreement  made  between  Lieutenant-Gen - 
eral  Taylor,  commanding  the  department  of  Alabama,  Missis- 
sippi, and  East  Louisiana;  and  Major-General  Canby,  com- 
manding the  United  States  forces,  the  troops  of  this  depart- 
ment have  been  surrendered. 

I  do  not  think  it  proper  or  necessary  at  this  time  to  refer 
to  the  causes  which  have  reduced  us  to  this  extremity ;  nor  is 
it  now  a  matter  of  material  consequence  to  us  how  such  re- 
sults were  brought  about.  That  we  are  beaten,  is  a  self-evi- 
dent fact,  and  any  further  resistance  on  our  part  would  be 
justly  regarded  as  the  very  height  of  folly  and  rashness.  The 
armies  of  Generals  Lee  and  Johnson  having  surrendered,  you 
are  the  last  of  all  the  troops  of  the  Confederate  States  army, 
east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  to  lay  down  arms. 

The  cause  for  which  you  have  so  long  and  so  manfully 
struggled,  and  for  which  you  have  braved  dangers,  endured 
privations  and  sufferings,  and  made  so  many  sacrifices,  is  to- 
day hopeless.  The  government  which  we  sought  to  establish 
and  perpetuate  is  at  an  end.  Reason  dictates  and  humanity 
demands  that  no  more  blood  be  shed.  Fully  realizing  and 
feeling  that  such  is  the  case,  it  is  your  duty  and  mine  to  lay 
down  our  arms,  submit  to  the  "powers  that  be,"  and  to  aid 
in  restoring  peace  and  establishing  law  and  order  throughout 
the  land. 

The  terms  upon  which  you  were  surrendered  are  favor- 
able, and  should  be  satisfactory  and  acceptable  to  all.  They 
manifest  a  spirit  of  magnanimity  and  liberality  on  the  part  of 
the  Federal  authorities,  which  should  be  met  on  our  part  by 
a  faithful  compliance  with  all  the  stipulations  and  conditions 


IN  THE   CONFEDERA  TE  ARMT.  259 

therein  expressed.  As  your  commander,  I  sincerely  hope 
that  every  officer  and  soldier  of  my  command  will  cheerfully 
obey  the  orders  given,  and  carry  out  in  good  faith  all  the 
terms  of  the  cartel. 

Those  who  neglect  the  terms,  and  refuse  to  be  paroled, 
may  assuredly  expect,  when  arrested,  to  be  sent  North  and 
imprisoned. 

Let  those  who  are  absent  from  their  commands,  from  what- 
ever cause,  report  at  once  to  this  place,  or  to  Jackson,  Miss.; 
or  if  too  remote  from  either,  to  the  nearest  United  States  post 
or  garrison  for  parole. 

Civil  war,  such  as  you  have  just  passed  through,  naturally 
engenders  feelings  of  animosity,  hatred,  and  revenge.  It  is 
our  duty  to  divest  ourselves  of  all  such  feelings;  and,  as  far 
as  in  our  power  to  do  so,  to  cultivate  friendly  feelings  toward 
those  with  whom  we  have  so  long  contended,  and  heretofore 
so  widely,  but  honestly,  differed.  Neighborhood  feuds,  per- 
sonal animosities,  and  private  differences  should  be  blotted 
out;  and,  when  you  return  home,  a  manly,  straightforward 
course  of  conduct  will  secure  the  respect  even  of  your  ene- 
mies. Whatever  your  responsibilities  may  be  to  government, 
to  society,  or  to  individuals,  meet  them  like  men.  The  at- 
tempt made  to  establish  a  separate  and  independent  Confed- 
eration has  failed  ;  but  the  consciousness  of  having  done  your 
duty  faithfully,  and  to  the  end,  will,  in  some  measure,  repay 
for  the  hardships  you  have  undergone. 

In  bidding  you  farewell,  rest  assured  that  you  carry  with 
you  my  best  wishes  for  your  future  welfare  and  happiness. 
Without  in  any  way  referring  to  the  merits  of  the  cause  in 
which  we  have  been  engaged,  your  courage  and  determina- 
tion, as  exhibited  on  many  hard  fought  fields,  have  elicited 
the  respect  and  admiration  of  friend  and  foe,  and  I  now 
cheerfully  and  gratefully  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to 
the  officers  and  men  of  my  command,  whose  zeal,  fidelity, 


260  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

and  unflinching  bravery  have  been  the  great  source  of  my 
past  success  in  arms. 

I  have  never,  on  the  field  of  battle,  sent  you  where  I  was 
unwilling  to  go  myself;  nor  would  I  now  advise  you  to  a 
course  which  I  felt  myself  unwilling  to  pursue.  You  have 
been  good  soldiers,  you  can  be  good  citizens.  Obey  the  laws, 
preserve  your  honor,  and  the  government  to  which  you  have 
surrendered  can  afford  to  be  and  will  be  magnanimous. 

N.  B.  FORREST,  Lieutenant- General. 

The  effort  had  failed,  and  the  Southern  cause  had  gone 
down.  It  was  the  Titanic,  political  and  social  movement  of  the 
century.  The  principles  must  be  consigned  to  time,  but  the 
effect  upon  the  destinies  of  the  country  will  be  felt  for  a 
long  period,  and  will  finally  redound  to  the  benefit  of  our 
America. 

The  Confederate  army  had  made  a  name  for  bravery  and 
daring  for  the  rank  and  file,  and  genius  for  the  leaders,  that 
will  challenge  the  admiration  of  future  generations,  and  es- 
tablish a  standard  for  emulation  never  to  be  excelled.  In  all 
the  claims  for  distinction  which  may  arise,  there  will  come  up 
the  recollections  of  that  proud  and  distinguished  little  army 
of  half-starved,  but  heroic,  soldiers,  which  stood  for  four 
years  against  the  mighty  hosts  of  men,  resources,  power,  and 
money. 

The  official  records  of  the  United  States  Government  show 
that  there  were  enlisted  on  the  Southern  side  during  the  entire 
war  less  than  600,000  men,  while  the  Federal  army  numbered 
2,872,304  men.  Of  the  latter,  178,975  were  negroes.  At 
the  close  of  the  war,  the  Confederates  had  167,000  men  in 
the  field,  while  the  North  had  1,000,000  men  in  active  serv- 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMY.  261 

ice.  The  South,  at  no  time  during  the  war,  had  quite 
300,000  men  in  the  field,  while  her  rivers  and  bays  were 
packed  with  gun-boats,  and  500  men  of  war  guarded  and 
closed  her  ports.  When  the  future  generations  read  the 
story,  they  will  stand  amazed.  There  were  commanders  on 
the  Federal  side  whose  greatest  achievements  consisted  in 
destroying  private  property,  burning  churches  and  school- 
houses,  and  devastating  the  country;  men  who  took  pride 
in  burning  homes,  and  who  cherished  the  opportunity  to  tel- 
egraph the  government  that  "  a  crow  passing  over  the  line 
of  my  march  must  take  his  rations  along  or  starve." 

During  Sherman's  march  through  Georgia,  his  men  hung 
old  and  defenseless  people  to  make  them  tell  where  their 
valuables  were.  They  took  rings  from  the  fingers  of  ladies 
and  burned  every  thing  which  they  could  not  carry  away. 
This  was  desolation,  not  war.  It  was  the  wicked  and 
savage  hate  he  bore  the  Southern  people,  that  spared  neither 
age  nor  sex,  nor  condition,  but  like  "  Mephistopheles  "  gloated 
over  the  misery  which  he  brought  to  helpless  women  and 
children,  that  prompted  and  approved  such  acts.  They 
could  not  whip  the  Southern  soldier  in  battle,  but  could 
destroy  their  homes  and  starve  their  families. 

Nearly  the  third  of  a  century  has  passed  away.  The 
passions  which  the  unhappy  conflict  inflamed  have  had  time 
to  cool.  The  prejudices  engendered  have  been  abated. 
The  many  asperities  incident  have  been  mitigated,  and  the 
prejudices,  wrongs  and  hates  of  the  day  are  forgotten  or 
forgiven.  The  South  has  arisen  from  her  ashes  and  desola- 
tion. Her  valleys  are  smiling,  her  granaries  are  full,  her 
cities  progressive  and  prosperous,  her  homes  happy.  The 


262  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

same  people  who  saw  her  trampled  in  the  dust  by  an  invad- 
ing foe,  and  who  fought  violently  to  defend  her,  have  trans- 
formed her  into  a  thing  of  beauty.  Former  foes  are  friends, 
peace  has  returned,  and  the  South  is  following  her  grand 
destiny,  but  the  heart  of  the  Southern  soldier  is  unchanged 
as  to  the  conduct  of  some  of  the  Northern  generals,  and  it 
will  remain  unchanged. 

For  Butler,  who  made  war  on  the  ladies  in  New  Orleans, 
who  disgraced  the  name  of  soldier  by  his  conduct  and 
brutality,  there  is  a  feeling  of  condemnation. 

But  there  was  one  Federal  general  whose  name  lends 
luster  to  the  American  soldier  and  to  the  American  citizen, 
who  is  respected  and  revered  by  every  fair  minded  man, 
who  understood  the  prowess  of  the  Southern  soldier,  and 
who  removed  from  the  South  the  sting  of  defeat  by  the 
magic  touch  of  his  magnanimity  in  dealing  with  the  van- 
quished. Around  the  name  of  U.  S.  Grant  can  cluster  the 
hopes  of  a  national  feeling  of  a  reunited  and  indissoluble 
union  of  all  the  states.  Grant  was  the  genius  of  the  war  on 
the  Federal  side.  He  realized  that  he  must  overpower  the 
South,  and  therefore  concentrated  his  forces  for  final  struggle, 
but  he  never  made  war  on  defenseless  women  and  old  men. 
He  knew  the  value  of  a  recruit  to  the  South,  and  therefore 
declined  the  exchange  of  prisoners.  He  crushed  the  Con- 
federacy with  superior  numbers,  but  he  paroled  and  trusted 
the  Confederate.  He  knew  that  if  he  put  the  Southern 
soldier  on  his  honor  he  would  make  a  good  citizen,  but  that 
if  the  leaders  were  imprisoned,  the  Southern  people  would 
become  a  nation  of  "bushwhackers,"  and  he  told  President 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  263 

Johnson  that  the  army  of  the  United  States  would  be  used  to 
carry  out  the  terms  and  conditions  of  General  Lee's  sur- 
render, if  necessary.  By  that  act  he  bound  to  him  with 
hooks  of  steel  the  Southern  hearts,  which  his  magnanimity 
won  at  Appomattox. 


PART    III. 

"LAGNIAPPE." 
I. 

KING  PHILIP. 

After  the  war,  General  Forrest,  with  his  wife  and  son, 
Captain  Billy  Forrest,  went  to  live  on  his  farm  in  Coahoma 
county,  Mississippi.  It  was  the  middle  of  May,  and  too  late 
to  plant  cotton,  but  they  raised  an  enormous  crop  of  corn. 
At  that  time,  the  "Mississippi  Delta"  was  known  as  the 
"Bottom,"  and  was  invariably  referred  to  as  such.  The 
country  was  sparsely  settled,  and  in  many  cases  farm-houses 
were  five  and  six  miles  apart,  and  the  general's  place  was  no 
exception.  Less  than  ten  per  cent  of  the  country  had  been 
cleared;  therefore  the  timber  and  cane  made  it  a  wilderness. 
There  was  no  occasion  for  Federal  troops  in  that  country,  be- 
cause the  population  was  too  small  to  require  watching,  and 
there  had  been  none  there  until  about  the  first  of  August. 
The  affairs  at  the  Forrest  home  were  quiet  and  undisturbed. 
Both  the  general  and  Captain  Billy  were  busily  engaged  re- 
storing the  fences  and  repairing  and  rebuilding  the  houses. 
The  general  had  erected  a  saw-mill,  to  which  he  gave  his 
(264) 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  265 

personal  attention.  In  fact,  he  performed  the  work  of  what 
was  styled  "a  full  hand,"  besides  managing  and  looking  after 
the  laborers,  his  old  slaves,  to  whom  he  was  then  paying 
wages.  They  were  devoted  to  "Mars.  Bedford."  Captain 
Billy  was  detailed  to  drive  the  ox  team,  which  was  used  to 
haul  logs  to  the  mill.  There  was  a  luxuriant  Bermuda  grass 
lot  in  front  of  the  house,  where  the  horses  grazed  during  the 
day.  General  Forrest  had  given  instructions  that  King 
Philip  should  never  be  saddled  again.  Like  the  negroes,  he 
was  set  free.  The  general  appreciated  his  great  services 
during  the  war,  and  decided  to  emancipate  him.  Jerry,  the 
general's  body  servant,  and  Pat.,  an  Irishman  who  served 
him  as  orderly  while  in  the  service,  were  employed  about  the 
house  and  lot.  Fields  of  beautiful  corn  surrounded  the 
house,  and  the  rustling  of  the  blades  of  fodder,  together  with 
the  graceful  bending  of  the  tassels  as  they  yielded  to  the  soft 
summer  breezes,  gave  the  place  an  air  of  quiet  and  domestic 
life,  very  different  from  that  which  the  owner  and  his  family 
and  servants  and  horses  had  been  accustomed  to  for  several 
years  past. 

It  was  a  warm  August  morning,  about  ten  o'clock.  King 
Philip  and  the  other  horses  were  grazing  in  the  lot,  when  a 
company  of  Federal  cavalry  rode  up  to  the  "big  gate"  and 
halted.  They  were  searching  for  government  cotton,  and 
hearing  that  the  rebel  General  Forrest  lived  there,  desired  to 
take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  and  see  him.  King  Philip 
was  the  same  character  of  horse  that  Forrest  was  man,  and 
seemed  to  have  been  made  for  just  such  service  as  he  had 
seen  the  past  two  years.  His  education  had  been  well 
attended  to  during  that  time.  He  had  never  come  in 


266  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

view  of  a  company  of  Federals  without  having  to  rush 
at  them  with  all  his  speed  and  energy.  No  doubt  it 
was  with  him  instinctively  a  thing  which  he  had  no  power 
to  resist,  and,  perhaps,  no  disposition  to  avoid.  The 
Federal  captain  and  his  company,  ignorant  of  the  char- 
acter of  King  Philip,  and  therefore  of  impending  danger, 
and  confident  of  their  ability  to  defend  themselves,  opened 
the  gate  and  rode  in.  King  Philip  had  by  that  time,  doubt- 
less, forgotten  the  horrors  of  war,  as  he  nipped  the  fresh 
young  grass,  and  did  not  discover  the  presence  of  the  blue- 
coats  until  they  had  entered  the  lot.  He  heard  the  tramp  of 
the  horses  and  looked  up,  and  the  old  passion,  born  of  edu- 
cation and  hard  experience,  took  possession  of  him.  With 
head  and  tail  in  the  air,  he  rushed  at  the  company  with  his 
old-time  energy,  nor  did  he  halt  until  every  man  and  horse 
had  been  driven  from  the  lot.  He  kicked  and  fought  like  a 
tiger.  After  the  gate  had  been  closed,  he  galloped  along  the 
fence-row,  neighing  and  shaking  his  head  defiantly.  Jerry, 
hearing  the  noise  and  seeing  the  commotion,  ran  down  to  the 
gate  and  heard  dreadful  threats  against  Philip.  One  of  the 
men,  who  was  severely  hurt  by  a  kick,  swore  he  would  kill 
him;  but  Jerry  grasped  a  fence-rail,  and  announced  that  he 
would  defend  Philip  with  his  life ;  and  that  was  the  situation 
when  General  Forrest  and  Captain  Billy  returned  home  for 
dinner. 

The  officer  explained  the  occurrence  to  the  general,  who, 
after  King  Ph'lip  had  been  put  in  the  stable,  invited  the  whole 
company  in  for  dinner  and  rest.  Jerry  said:  "  Twus  not 
King  Philip's  fault;  dem  Yankees  opened  the  gate  and  rid  in 
bedout  sayin  nuthin  to  nobody."  After  all  had  been  seated 


f    I 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM1'.  267 

on  the  gallery  and  had  laughed  over  the  affair,  the  Federal 
captain  said  :  "  General,  I  can  now  account  for  your  success ; 
your  negroes  fight  for  you  and  your  horses  fight  for  you." 
The  general  soon  after  had  occasion  to  go  to  Memphis  on 
business,  and  told  the  story  to  some  of  his  friends.  At  that 
time,  there  were  a  number  of  sick  and  wounded  men  in  the 
city  who  needed  means  and  attention,  It  was  at  once  sug- 
gested that  an  entertainment  be  gotten  up  for  their  benefit, 
and  that  old  Philip  be  exhibited  as  one  of  the  features.  The  , 
general  consented,  and  returned  home  and  gave  instructions 
to  Pat  and  Jerry  to  put  him  in  nice  condition.  They  began 
giving  him  extra  attention,  and  feeding  him  quantities  of 
green  corn.  Early  one  morning,  not  long  after  the  general's 
return  from  Memphis,  Jerry  knocked  at  his  door,  and  between 
sobs  and  lamentations  told  him  that  King  Philip  was  dead. 
The  general  hurriedly  dressed  and  went  to  the  stable,  and 
found  Pat  kneeling  down  and  caressing  his  neck  and  shedding 
bitter  tears.  The  general  himself  wiped  away  a  tear,  and 
expressed  great  sorrow.  Pat,  believing  that  the  general 
would  take  his  death  very  seriously,  thought  to  relieve  him 
of  his  sorrow,  and  said  :  "  Gineral,  he  is  dead,  King  Philip 
is  dead !  But,  sir,  I  want  you  to  look  at  the  good  fat  I  put 
on  him  before  he  died."  King  Philip  died  with  the  colic, 
and,  of  course,  was  badly  swollen,  but  Pat  wanted  the  gen- 
eral to  think  it  was  fat. 
<i 

II. 

Not  long  after  the  war,  General  Forrest  and  his  son,  Cap- 
tain Billy,  went  to   New  York.     It  was  the  first  time  either 


268  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

of  them  ever  saw  the  great  city.  At  that  time,  the  "St. 
Nicholas  "  was  the  popular  hotel  for  Southern  people,  and  it 
was  at  that  hostelry  they  stopped.  They  arrived  about  night, 
and  after  an  early  breakfast  the  following  morning,  concluded 
to  go  out  and  see  the  city.  The  rotunda  of  the  St.  Nicholas 
was  on  a  level  with  the  street.  They  walked  to  the  front  and 
stopped  to  get  their  bearings.  There  was  a  great  crowd  of 
people  in  front  of  the  hotel,  which  rapidly  grew  larger  after 
they  halted.  The  general  wore  a  grey  suit  and  a  broad 
brimmed  light  colored  felt  hat.  He  was  at  all  times  a  con- 
spicuous figure,  but  his  friends  at  home  were  accustomed  to 
him,  therefore  did  not  appreciate  his  distinguished  appear- 
ance as  strangers  did.  The  papers  announced  that  he  was  in 
the  city,  and  there  was  wide-spread  curiosity  to  see  him.  He 
was  ignorant  of  the  cause  that  drew  the  crowd  together,  and, 
having  heard  that  Broadway  was  a  great  thoroughfare,  sup- 
posed it  was  a  natural  condition.  Finally,  he  heard  a  person 
say,  "That's  him.  That's  the  rebel,  General  Forrest,"  and 
he  made  his  way  out,  and,  with  Captain  Billy,  walked  up  the 
street.  The  crowd  followed,  and  was  augmented  at  every 
corner.  Those  in  front  were  pressed  by  those  following, 
until  finally  hundreds  of  them  were  blocking  up  the  street 
and  sidewalk  looking  at  the  big  rebel.  The  general  grew 
restless  and  worried  over  the  situation,  but,  as  was  invariably 
the  case,  he  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  He  lifted  his  big 
white  hat  high  above  his  head,  and  cried  out  with  a  voice 
that  had  never  failed  to  produce  consternation  :  "  Get  out  of 
my  way,  G — d  d —  you."  The  effect  was  instantaneous. 
Those  in  the  rear  were  knocked  down  and  run  over  by  those 
in  front,  and  the  stampede  lasted  for  several  minutes  during 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMt'.  269 

which  time  the  general  and  Captain   Billy  went  into  a  cross 
street  and  escaped  further  intrusion. 

The  afternoon  papers  mentioned  the  circumstances,  and 
the  morning  papers  were  full  of  it.  Forrest  was  discussed  by 
every  tongue.  The  following  morning  he  sat  on  the  side  of 
his  bed,  had  just  pulled  on  his  boots,  and  was  coursing  his 
fingers  through  his  hair,  a  very  common  habit  with  him. 
(The  writer  has  often  seen  him  when  his  long,  iron-gray  hair 
stood  up,  "  like  quills  upon  the  fretful  porcupine.")  He 
had  not  yet  removed  his  night-shirt,  when  some  one  knocked 
at  his  door.  Captain  Billy  occupied  an  adjoining  room  with 
a  door  opening  into  the  general's,  and  went  to  the  outer  door 
to  answer  the  knock.  He  was  astonished  to  find  a  lady 
there.  She  was  a  typical  New  England  old  maid  ;  tall,  angu- 
lar, and  thin ;  her  hair  was  dark  and  pasted  tightly  over  her 
high  forehead;  thin  lips,  compressed  mouth,  and  a  well  dis 
tinguished  jaw.  She  carried  a  Bible  in  one  hand,  and  an 
umbrella  in  the  other.  She  pushed  Captain  Billy  aside,  and 
advancing,  addressing  the  General,  asked:  "Are  you  the 
Rebel  General  Forrest  ?  And  is  it  true  that  you  murdered 
those  dear  colored  people  at  Fort  Pillow?  Tell  me,  sir;  I 
want  no  evasive  answer  !" 

The  writer  does  not  think  that  slang  is  good  taste,  or  good 
sense,  but  he  feels  that,  in  this  instance,  a  slang  phrase  con- 
veys the  ideal  plainly  :  "  She  got  it  in  the  neck." 

The  general  rose  up  from  his  bed  to  his  full  height,  his 
hair  standing  on  end,  and  said:  "Yes,  madam;  I  killed  the 
men  and  women,  and  ate  the  babies  for  breakfast." 

.The  old  maid  ran  screaming  down  the  hall-way  and  into 
the  street. 


270'         PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 


III. 

After  the  war  had  ended,  the  South  was  overrun  by  a  class 
called  "  Carpet  Baggers."  They  were  as  a  general  and  almost 
universal  thing  the  scum  of  the  earth.  Men  who,  except  in 
a  few  instances,  had  no  idea  of  right,  honesty,  gentility,  or  de- 
cency, and  knew  no  such  law  or  motto.  They  came  South  to 
fire  the  heart  of  the  newly-emancipated  negro,  and  organize  a 
political  party,  by  which  they  could  obtain  official  control  of 
the  different  states.  They  were  not  representatives  of  any 
class  in  the  North,  nor  anywhere  else  on  God's  green  earth, 
but  were  to  the  North  what  the  bench-leg  fice  (of  which  no 
female  was  ever  known)  is  to  the  canine  tribe.  They  organized 
secret  societies,  and  administered  the  most  terrible  oaths  to 
the  negroes.  They  promised  to  give  each  voter  forty  acres 
of  land  and  a  mule,  if  he  would  vote  properly.  The  forty 
acres  and  the  mule  did  not  materialize,  however,  and  the  ne- 
groes began  to  complain.  In  the  meantime  every  scoundrel 
of  them  had  ridden  into  office  on  the  negro  votes.  Finally 
it  was  necessary  to  made  new  promises,  or  else  the  negroes 
would  withdraw  their  support.  State  officers  and  a  legis- 
lature had  to  be  elected,  so  the  Carpet  Baggers  gave  it  out 
that  the  Republicans  had  affairs  working  nicely,  and  if  re- 
elected  they  would  pass  a  bill  with  provisions  in  it  for  the 
colored  man.  The  poor,  ignorant  things  spent  a  month 
drilling,  and  moving  from  one  place  to  another,  sitting  up  at 
nights,  and  taking  new  oaths  "to  'spise  the  white  folks." 

After  the  election,  hundreds  of  them  wasted  their  lime 
hanging  around  the  town,  with  sacks  and  cotton  baskets, 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  271 

waiting  for  the  "  provisions,"  and  after  they  were  entirely 
without  food,  went  among  the  white  people  and  asked  for 
bread.  No  Carpet  Bagger  ever  felt  sympathy  enough  for  a 
negro  to  help  him.  Those  rascals  passed  a  law  that  all  ne- 
groes who  were  living  together  as  man  and  wife,  must  obtain 
license  and  be  married.  It  will  be  understood  that  all  the 
clerks  of  the  courts  were  Carpet  Baggers,  and  they  in  this 
way  got  thousands  of  dollars  from  the  deluded  and  unfortu- 
nate negroes.  Those  who  had  been  living  together  years 
and  years,  and  who  had  grand-children,  were  required  to  pay 
two  dollars  for  license,  and  then  pay  a  magistrate  one  dollar 
to  perform  the  ceremony. 

They  robbed  and  imposed  upon  the  negroes,  but  the  poor 
things,  like  an  ox,  would  suffer  in  silence.  "'T  would  not  do 
to  tell  de  white  folks." 

There  were  several  species  of  Carpet  Baggers,  as  is  the 
case  with  the  monkey  family — gray  monkeys,  red  monkeys, 
big  monkeys,  little  monkeys,  ring-tail  monkeys,  etc.  Differ- 
ent grades  of  Carpet  Baggers  performed  different  duties. 
There  was  an  "  Old  He  One"  in  every  county,  whom  the 
little  ring-tails  reported  to,  and  received  orders  from.  The 
little  ring-tails  went  over  the  county  selling  pegs,  some 
were  painted  red,  and  others  white.  They  were  sold  in  sets 
of  four.  The  red  ones  were  sold  at  ten  dollars,  and  the 
white  ones  at  five  dollars  per  set.  The  purchaser  was  told 
that  he  could  use  the  pegs  for  staking  off  ground.  The  red 
pegs  were  sold  to  stake  off  eighty  acres,  and  the  white  pegs 
good  for  forty  acres  of  land.  A  prominent  farmer  in  Madi- 
son county,  Miss.,  Colonel  Jefferson  Love,  in  riding  over  his 
place,  noticed  the  pegs,  and  inquired  who  put  them  there. 


272  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC. 

One  of  his  old  slaves  said :  "I  did,  sir.  Dey  is  de  pegs  whur 
Gineral  Grant  sarnt  me ;  dey  marks  my  ground  whur  de 
guvernment  dun  gin  me."  The  gentleman  tried  to  explain 
to  the  old  man  that  he  had  been  duped,  but  it  did  no  good. 
Finally,  like  the  man  in  the  fable,  when  he  found  that  kind 
words  and  grass  had  no  effect  upon  the  boy,  he  tried  rocks. 
The  rocks  brought  him  down.  The  old  nigger  returned  the 
pegs  to  the  ring-tail  and  demanded  his  money,  but  he  died 
without  getting  it.  The  ring-tail  told  him  that  if  he  would 
wait  until  fall,  the  pegs  would  be  good. 

When  the  negroes  would  begin  to  grow  callous,  after  re- 
peated deceptions,  the  Carpet  Bagger  would  tell  them  Gen- 
eral Grant  sent  word,  "They  must  do  so  and  so,"  and 
immediately  every  one  was  in  line.  If  one  of  the  ring-tails 
needed  money,  all  that  was  necessary  to  raise  it  was  the  or- 
der of  General  Grant. 

These  are  facts  which  people  living  in  the  North  will  not 
readily  believe,  but  they  are  true;  and  when  believed  and 
recognized  to  have  been  the  true  condition  of  affairs  in  the 
South  during  what  was  known  as  the  reconstruction  period, 
the  Northern  people  then  must  admit  that  the  white  people  of 
the  South  were  more  tolerant  and  the  negroes  more  gullible 
and  more  grossly  deceived  and  imposed  upon  by  their  pre- 
tended friends,  the  said  Carpet  Baggers,  than  ever  any  people 
were  on  earth. 

IV. 

A  negro  boy  employed  as  butler  by  a  prominent  family  on 
Vance  street,  Memphis,  requested  the  young  lady  of  the 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARM  2'.  273 

house  to  write  for  him  a  letter  to  his  sweet-heart.  She  sat 
down  to  her  escritoire  to  comply,  and  asked:  "  How  shall 
I  begin  it,  John?"  "Oh,  jes  like  de  young  gemmins  start 
dar  letters  to  you,  Miss  R.,"  he  answered.  Miss  R.  assured 
John  that  there  was  no  stereotyped  style  in  opening  corre- 
spondence with  her.  She  wrote  the  letter,  however,  which 
she  read  to  John,  and  asked  if  it  was  satisfactory. 

"  Yes'um,  I  suppose  it  mout  do,  but  'scuse  me,  Miss  R., 
if  I  defer  a  subgestion.  I  ud  like  to  put  a  little  bit  mo'  in 

dar  like  dis : 

"  '  De  rose  am  red, 

And  de  vylets  blue, 
De  pinks  am  preaty, 
An',  an',  so  is  you.'  " 

After  having  acted  upon  John's  "subgestion,"  she  asked 
if  that  was  all. 

John  scratched  his  woolly  head  a  moment,  and  then  said  : 
"  Miss  R.,  dar  am  one  more  thing  what  oughten  to  go  in  dar. 
Dis— 

"  I  hopes  dat  you  will  'scuse  de  pore  mizzerable  writin'  and 
de  bad  spellin'." 

The  letter  finally  satisfied  John,  and  Miss  R.  asked  how  it 
should  be  addressed.  Said  he  : 

"  To  Miss  Mary  Malone>  care  Nashville  Pintincy." 

"  Why,  John,  she  is  not  in  the  penitentiary,  is  she  ?" 

"Yes'um,  oh,  yes 'urn,"  said  he. 

"  Well,"  said  Miss  R.,  "  how  on  earth  came  she  there?" 

"  Oh,  nuthin'  much  ;  she  gist  steal  some,  and  kit  kotched, 
dat  wuz  all." 


274  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

V. 

During  the  war,  wherever  the  Federals  got  a  foothold, 
they  arrested  and  imprisoned  the  most  prominent  people. 
No  reason  or  excuse  was  given  for  the  action,  and  it  was  well 
known  to  be  a  part  of  a  system  to  humiliate  and  punish  men 
who  were  too  old  to  go  in  the  service.  Prominent  among  a 
number  of  distinguished  gentlemen  who  were  placed  in  the 
penitentiary  at  Nashville  was  the  Hon.  Chas.  Ready,  of  Mur- 
freesboro,  Tenn.  Judge  Ready  was  a  lawyer  of  conspicuous 
ability  and  a  citizen  of  the  highest  character.  He  was  the 
friend  of  the  poor  and  defenseless  and  a  devoted  husband 
and  father.  No  man  stood  higher  in  the  esteem  of  his 
neighbors  than  he.  While,  in  the  penitentiary,  he  met  a  ne- 
gro, who  had  been  confined  a  number  of  years,  and  was  do- 
ing duty  as  a  "  trusty."  The  negro  was  named  Dan.,  and  was 
very  polite  and  attentive  to  the  judge.  He  polished  his 
shoes  and  looked  after  his  comfort  generally.  The  judge 
was  finally  released  and  returned  to  his  home  at  Murfrees- 
boro.  After  the  war,  Dan.,  having  served  out  his  time, 
made  straight  for  Murfreesboro.  He  had  a  very  good  un- 
derstanding of  human  nature,  and  of  a  Southern  gentleman 
in  particular.  He  reached  the  judge's  home  during  his  ab- 
sence, and  was  told  by  the  servants  to  go  off,  but  he  re- 
mained in  the  vicinity  until  the  judge  returned.  The  judge 
was  glad  to  see  Dan.,  and  gave  instructions  to  the  servants  to 
treat  him  kindly.  Mrs.  Ready  gave  him  a  suit  of  good 
clothes,  hat,  and  shoes,  and  Dan.  realized  that  he  was  in 
clover.  The  crumbs  which  he  had  cast  on  the  waters  had 
returned  to  him  a  thousand-fold.  The  servants  turned  up 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  275 

their  noses  at  Dan.,  but  it  made  no  difference  to  him.  He 
knew  that  he  would  be  provided  for.  He  was  very  fond  of 
talking  to  the  judge  and  Mrs.  Ready,  and  often  sat  on  the 
steps  while  they  enjoyed  their  big  rockers  on  the  broad  gal- 
lery, in  the  summer  afternoons.  Dan.  dated  all  his  good 
fortune  from  the  time  he  and  the  judge  met  in  the  peniten- 
tiary, and  this  was  his  theme  on  the  afternoons  referred  to. 
He  would  laugh  and  tell  Mrs.  Ready  "how  me  and  judge 
used  to  do  when  we  wus  in  the  pinitinchery  together."  Mrs. 
Ready  was  a  lady  of  cultivation  and  an  unusually  keen  per- 
ception of  things,  and  would  laugh  and  encourage  Dan.  to 
go  on,  but  the  judge  was  not  so  reminiscently  inclined. 
During  Dan.'s  visit,  on  one  occasion,  the  judge  had  been 
employed  in  a  criminal  case,  which  demanded  the  best  atten- 
tion. He  gave  the  most  earnest  consideration  to  it,  and  se- 
cured a  verdict  of  acquittal  for  his  client.  He  was  a  liberal, 
impulsive,  kind,  and  generous  man.  He  was  conscious  of 
having  given  his  best  energy  to  the  case,  and  wanted  to  cap  off 
the  occasion  by  inviting  a  number  of  his  friends  and  brother 
lawyers  to  dine  with  him.  Mrs.  Ready  was  always  pleased  to 
entertain  his  friends,  and  on  this  occasion  made  extra  prepa- 
ration. After  dinner,  the  gentlemen  repaired  to  the  gallery  to 
enjoy  a  fine  brand  of  cigars  which  were  handed  them.  Soon 
Dan.  made  his  appearance  on  the  steps  and  began  to  tell 
"what  me  and  the  judge  used  to  do  when  we  wus  in  the 
pinitinchery  together."  There  was  a  gentleman  in  the  party 
that  had  but  recently  moved  to  Murfreesboro  from  the  North, 
and  had  never  heard  of  the  imprisonment  of  gentlemen  for 
political  reasons.  He  heard  Dan.'s  tale,  and  noticed  that  no 
contradiction  of  his  statement  was  made.  Finally,  he  asked 


276  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

what  it  meant.  "Why,"  said  one  of  the  gentlemen,  "are 
you  not  aware  that  the  judge  served  a  term  in  the  peniten- 
tiary, and  that  the  negro  was  in  at  the  same  time  ?" 

The  newcomer  had  never  heard  of  it,  and,  indeed,  few 
Northern  men  of  the  present  day  know  how  prominent 
Southerners  were  made  to  suffer  during  the  war. 


VI. 

THE  NEGROES. 

Having  written  with  the  sole  purpose  of  leaving  to  my  pos- 
terity and  to  such  others  as  may  feel  sufficient  interest  in  a 
simple,  but  true,  narrative  of  the  stirring  events  of  1861  to 
1865  to  read  it,  and  having  been  prevailed  on  to  publish 
the  story  in  a  durable  form,  I  feel  that  I  should  leave  my 
self-imposed  task  (which  is  more  a  labor  of  love  than  a  task) 
incomplete,  did  I  fail  or  neglect  to  bear  testimony  to  the 
fidelity  of  the  negroes  to  their  masters'  families  during  those 
dark  and  dreadful  days.  Slavery  existed  in  the  Southern 
States  alone,  and  prior  to  the  war  there  had  been  more  than 
one  insurrectionary  movement  among  the  slaves,  and  one 
(that  of  Southampton,  Virginia,  led  by  Nat  Turner)  had  cost 
much  innocent  blood  and  created  a  world-wide  sensation. 
All  these  insurrections  and  attempted  insurrections  were  be- 
lieved to  have  been  incited  by  two  agencies,  first,  evil  dis- 
posed, envious,  or  intermeddling  incendiaries  from  the  free 
states,  and  second,  a  burning  desire  upon  the  part  of  some 
of  the  more  intelligent  negroes  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  slav- 
ery and  be  free.  It  is  needless  to  recall  the  horrors  of  those 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  277 

outbreaks,  but  they  occurred,  and  never  without  involving 
the  shedding  of  human  blood  and  the  sacrifice  of  life. 

There  may  have  been  instances  in  which  malice,  wrought 
up  by  harsh  and  cruel  treatment  of  slaves  by  heartless  and 
brutish  owners,  were  among  the  incitements,  but,  as  a  rule, 
slave  owners  and  especially  those  who  were  kind,  consid- 
erate, and  just  to  their  slaves,  were  highly  respected  and 
sincerely  beloved  by  the  latter,  and  no  stronger  proof  of  this 
fact  could  be  desired  than  was  afforded  by  the  conduct  of 
the  slaves  generally  during  the  late  war.  For  months  and 
even  years,  the  families  of  the  South  were  almost  wholly  at 
the  mercy  of  the  blacks.  There  was  many  a  night  on  which 
ladies  and  children  were  the  only  whites  on  a  Southern 
plantation,  or  at  a  Southern  home.  There  were  weeks 
and  months  of  such  nights,  and  yet  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  of  the  war,  no  such  thing  as  an  in- 
surrectionary movement  was  known  or  heard  of,  nor 
the  use  of  any  incendiary  or  insulting  language  whatever 
charged,  reported,  or  hinted  against  the  negroes.  True,  a 
number  of  them  left  their  owners  and  their  homes,  or  were 
carried  or  enticed  away,  and  many  of  the  men  who  went  en- 
listed in  the  Federal  army.  But,  on  the  otherhandj*a  ma- 
jority of  them  remained  at  home,  and  actually  hid  themselves 
and  the  stock  of  their  owners  whenever  they  heard  the  start- 
ling cry,  "Yankees  coming."  This  is  positively  true.  I 
could  cite  instances  and  name  parties  and  places  were  it 
necessary.  Not  only  did  a  large  majority  of  the  negroes  re- 
main at  their  homes,  but  they  took  care  of  the  property  and 
families  of  their  owners,  raised  crops,  and  did  all  other  cus- 
tomary and  necessary  work,  just  as  they  had  done  before  the 


278  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

war,  when  owners  and  overseers  watched  over  them.  These 
are  facts  that  flatly  contradict  and  give  the  lie  direct  to  the 
numerous  oft-repeated  assertions  of  abolitionists  (slanders  on 
the  negroes),  that  they  hated  the  whites  of  the  South,  and 
only  worked  for  and  obeyed  them  because  they  were  com- 
pelled to  do  so.  Not  only  did  a  very  large  majority  of  the 
negroes  remain  at  home  during  the  war,  but  after  they  were 
made  free  as  a  result  of  the  war,  and'  by  national  and  state 
action,  many  still  remained  with  their  former  owners  and 
worked  for  them  for  regular  wages  or  "on  shares,"  and  not 
a  few  are  still  doing  so. 

These  are  facts,  and  no  matter  what  may  be  the  outcome 
of  the  developments  of  the  future,  as  a  race,  the  negroes,  by 
their  conduct  and  their  fidelity  in  times  and  under  circum- 
stances that  might  well  have  been  supposed,  would  and  did 
put  their  allegiance  and  fidelity  to  the  severest  test,  earned 
and  entitled  themselves  to  the  kind  consideration,  the  friend- 
ship, and  love  of  the  whites.  True,  after  the  war  had  ended 
and  they  became  free,  their  ignorance  was  imposed  upon,  and 
many  of  them  allowed  themselves  to  be  duped  and  misled 
into  a  feeling  of  distrust  and  a  course  of  antagonism  to  their 
former  owners,  and  the  whites  of  the  South  generally  which 
came  very  near  causing  a  rupture  that  must  or  might  have 
resulted  in  the  destruction  of  all  confidences,  the  severance 
of  all  ties,  and  creating  a  permanent  animosity  among  the 
races.  I  do  not  envy  the  men — the  fiends — who  could  take 
advantage  of  the  ignorant  blacks  to  turn  them  against  the 
whites',  expose  them  to  the  possible  dangers  and  evils  of  a 
bloody  race  conflict.  Such  men  are  too  mean  to  live,  and 
they  are  unfit  to  die. 


IN  THE  CONFEDERATE  ARMT.  279 

Fortunately,  the  negroes  discovered  the  cloven  foot  of  the 
marplot  in  time  to  avert  it — and  when  they  withdrew  their 
allegiance,  the  Carpet  Bagger  "  left  the  country  for  the 
country's  good,"  and  perhaps  their  own  safety — (I  do  not 
quote  literally,  because  it  was  not  their  country).  They  came 
for  spoils,  did  all  the  meanness  they  could,  duped  and  cheated 
those  poor  people  who  had  trusted  them,  and  when  the- 
"  spoils"  ceased  to  flow  into  their  carpet  bags,  they  returned 
whence  they  came,  bitter  in  their  feelings,  because  of  the 
diappointment,  then  posed  in  the  North  as  martyrs,  and 
scattered  falsehoods  against  the  Southern  people.  I  never 
knew  of  but  one  instance  where  one  carried  back  a  negro 
wife.  A  person  who  served  as  sheriff  of  Yazoo  county, 
Mississippi,  took  unto  himself  a  negro  woman  for  a  wife,  and 
was  married  by  a  negro  preacher.  He  was  afterward  state 
senator.  The  writer  knew  them  both,  and  will  not  hesitate 
to  say  the  woman  was  superior  to  the  man. 

We  do  not  denominate  all  Northern  men  who  came  South 
soon  after  the  war  and  since  that  time  as  Carpet  Baggers. 
Those  we  speak  of  were  an  entirely  different  set,  and  were  a 
worse  and  more  bitter  curse  to  the  Southern  States,  and  to  the 
people  of  the  South,  both  white  and  black,  than  was  the  four 
years  of  war,  of  which  they  were  the  degraded  and  un- 
principled stragglers  and  scum.  Those  persons  were  always 
in  the  rear,  and  by  them  most  of  the  thieving  and  other 
meanness  was  done.  Nor  do  I  hesitate  to  say  that  the  better 
and  more  intelligent  class  of  negroes  were  by  far  the  su- 
periors of  this  despicable  and  unprincipled  element. 

After  the  Carpet  Baggers  had  hied  them  away,  the  negroes 
and  the  whites  got  along  without  trouble,  and  they  are  getting 


280  PERSONAL  RECOLLECTIONS,  ETC., 

along  harmoniously  to  this  day ;  and,  except  a  few  of  the 
most  restless  and  improvident,  who  would  never  be  content 
to  remain  permanently  any  where,  they  are  doing  well,  and 
conducting  themselves  well.  And  when  I  recall  to  mind  how 
they  conducted  themselves  during  the  war,  and  how  faithful 
they  were,  my  earnest  hope  and  prayer  is  that  they  may  con- 
tinue to  improve  and  that  no  discord  may  ever  disturb  the 
relations  which  now  exist  between' the  races  in  the  South. 


COL.  L.  T.  DICKINSON. 


THE  OLD  JOHNNIE. 


WE   STAND    READY   TO    DEFEND    IT. 


UNIVERS/A 


OF-CALI FOM 


\V\E-UNIVER 


University  of  California  Library 
Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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